Kim Jong Il’s grandson, Kim Han Sol, may not seem like a typical North Korean and with his near-perfect English, hipster glasses, and progressive ideas, no one would assume that he would have any connections to his uncle, who is the current leader of the most closed off country in the world.
Kim Han Sol recently opened up in an interview for the first time to talk about life in North Korea, and how someday he dreams of going back to the country to “make things better, make it easier for the people there,” reports The Washington Post .
Kim Jong Il’s grandson was born in Pyongyang in 1995, but was educated at an international school in Macau, where he had several friends from both the United States and South Korea, who are sworn enemies of the North. Kim stated:
“There are laws saying that North and South Koreans shouldn’t interact, even outside Korea. Me and my South Korean friends, it was kind of awkward when we first met each other. But sometimes we shared our own stories from back home and realized how similar we are.”
NBC News notes that, while Kim Han Sol moved to Macau, he visited North Korea in the summer, where he spent time with his mother’s relatives. He added that he was isolated from other Korean kids and was never told that his grandfather was Kim Jong Il. He stated, however, that:
“Little by little, through conversations that my parents had, I started to put the puzzle pieces together. I was actually waiting for him before he passed away, hoping that he would come find me because I really didn’t know if he knew that I existed.”
While he added that he was not sure why Kim Jong Eun was chosen to succeed as leader of North Korea, Kim Jong Il’s son stated that his own father was never going to be chosen, because he “wasn’t interested in politics.” He repeatedly referred to his uncle as a “dictator,” and explained that his parents influenced his world view by encouraging him to “live the same lifestyle as ordinary citizens.” Kim added:
“My dad said: ‘Forget about your background, and live your life. Understand everything, that there are a lot of people who are hungry.’ “
Check out the interview below with Kim Jong Il’s grandson Kim Han Sol, which is in two parts.
