Kim Han Sol, the 18-year old grandson of Kim Jong Il, has finally stepped into the limelight in his first extensive interview about North Korea.
The interview with former Finnish politician Elisabeth Rehn appeared on the internet yesterday. in it Kim, appearing confident and composed, talks about growing up in North Korea without knowing the identity of his grandfather, about the rule of Kim Jong Eun and the life of his father Kim Jong Nam, and about his own future.
Currently a first year student at the United World College in the Bosnian city of Mostar, Kim also speaks fondly about his South Korean classmates, saying, “I’ve had some friends from South Korea and its quite interesting, because the two countries are trying to build peace for unification but at the same time there are laws that say North Koreans and South Koreans should not interact with each other.”
“The first time with my South Korean friends it was awkward, but then little by little we started understanding each other through the same classroom experience,” he goes on. “Sometimes we share our stories from back home and realize how similar we are… same language and same culture. It is just political issues that divide the nation in half. Now, today, we are close friends, we travel together and it is such a wonderful feeling.”
Asked about his dreams for the future, Kim adds that “after university I picture myself volunteering somewhere, and after that I would like to engage in more humanitarian projects and also contribute to building world peace. Especially back home, because that is a very important part of me.”
“Koreans are divided, but if we put in effort step by step we can come to a conclusion and unite.”
Watch the video here
