Alex Thomas
A group of North Korean agents suspected of attempting to kill Kim Jong-un’s nephew, Kim Han-sol, were nabbed by Chinese officials before they had the chance to carry out the plot.
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Seven men were reportedly sent into the country, two of whom were stopped by Chinese officials. While news from North Korea can be murky at best, a source with knowledge of the information told a South Korean newspaper that “special operatives belonging to the North’s reconnaissance team penetrated China to remove Kim Han-sol but were arrested…and are currently under investigation at facilities outside Beijing,” The Telegraph reports.
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Kim Han-sol is the son of Kim Jong-nam, who was poisoned in a Malaysian airport in February. Authorities believe that the assassination was committed at the direction of Kim Jong-un and say that the poison that killed the North Korean leader’s half-brother was so deadly that he died in 15 to 20 minutes, The Guardian reports.
In March, Kim Han-sol released a YouTube video (showing his passport to prove his identity) and said, “My father has been killed a few days ago.” He continued, “I’m currently with my mother and my sister…we hope this gets better soon.”
The Kim dynasty is a convoluted hierarchy since the current dictator is not believed to have an heir. His half-brother was the most likely choice to ascend to the leadership role before he was assassinated, Forbes reports, and Kim Han-sol could have been next in line. It’s possible that the paranoid tyrant was trying to eliminate his line of succession.
