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Kim Jong-un, Kim Jong-il used fake Brazilian passports to visit western countries

Kim Jong-un obtained Brazilian passports to apply for visas to visit Western countries in the 1990s.

Kim Jong-un obtained Brazilian passports to apply for visas to visit Western countries in the 1990s. Photo: Getty

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and his late father Kim Jong-il used fraudulently obtained Brazilian passports to apply for visas to visit Western countries in the 1990s, five senior Western European security sources have revealed.

While North Korea’s ruling family is known to have used travel documents obtained under false pretences, there are few specific examples.

The photocopies of the Brazilian passports seen by the Reuters news agency have not been published before.

Kim Jong-un passport

The Brazilian passport used by Kim Jong-un. Photo: Reuters

“They used these Brazilian passports, which clearly show the photographs of Kim Jong Un and Kim Jong Il, to attempt to obtain visas from foreign embassies,” one senior Western security source said on condition of anonymity.

“This shows the desire for travel and points to the ruling family’s attempts to build a possible escape route,” the security source said.

kim jong il

Kim’s late father, Jong Il, also reportedly used a fake Brazilian passport. Photo: Reuters

The North Korean embassy in Brazil declined to comment.

Brazil’s foreign ministry said it was investigating. 

A Brazilian source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the two passports in question were legitimate documents when sent out as blanks for consulates to issue.

Four other senior Western European security sources confirmed that the two Brazilian passports with photos of the Kims in the names of Josef Pwag and Ijong Tchoi were used to apply for visas in at least two Western countries.

It was unclear whether any visas were issued.

The passports may also have been used to travel to Brazil, Japan and Hong Kong, the security sources said.

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