Kim Jong Un, late father Kim Jong Il used fake Brazilian passports to apply for visas, report says

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and his late father Kim Jong Il used Brazilian passports with fake names, date of births and birth places to apply for visas in the 1990s in an attempt to visit Western countries while flying under the radar, a report said on Tuesday.

The current and former despots used the passports to apply for visas to at least two countries, Reuters reported, citing five senior Western European security sources. It’s unclear which countries’ visas were being sought.

kim jong un kim jong il passports

The Brazilian passports allegedly belonging to Kim Jong Un and Kim Jong Il were released by Reuters on Tuesday.  (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,” a Western security source told Reuters. “This shows the desire for travel and points to the ruling family’s attempts to build a possible escape route.”

KIM JONG UN’S SIBLINGS: ERIC CLAPTON MEGA-FAN, POLITICIAN, SHADOWY SISTER

The passport allegedly belonging to Kim Jong Un has the name “Josef Pwag” printed on it with the date of birth Feb. 1, 1983. It’s unclear if the date listed is really his birthday because his date of birth has never been publically released.

He would have been between 12 and 14 years old when the passport was issued, according to Reuters.  

The other passport, said to belong to Kim Jong Il, is listed under the name “Ijong Tchoi” with the birth date of April 4, 1940, a year off from the late despot’s real birthday.

North Korean leader Kim Jong-il waves from his car after meeting Russia's President Dmitry Medvedev at the "Sosnovyi Bor" military garrison in Siberia's Buryatia region August 24, 2011. North Korean leader Kim and Russian President Medvedev met at a Siberian military base on Wednesday for talks the Kremlin said would focus on Pyongyang's nuclear programme and economic ties. Picture taken August 24, 2011. REUTERS/Dmitry Astakhov/RIA Novosti/Kremlin (RUSSIA - Tags: POLITICS ENERGY BUSINESS MILITARY IMAGES OF THE DAY) THIS IMAGE HAS BEEN SUPPLIED BY A THIRD PARTY. IT IS DISTRIBUTED, EXACTLY AS RECEIVED BY REUTERS, AS A SERVICE TO CLIENTS - GM1E78P1J1401

Kim Jong Il reportedly went by the pseudonym “Ijong Tchoi” on the Brazilian passports.  (Reuters)

Each picture on the passport bears striking resemblance to both members of North Korea’s ruling family. Reuters stated that facial recognition was used to confirm both fraudulent Brazilian passports were of Jong Un and Jong Il.

The passports, both valid for 10 years, have the “Embassy of Brazil in Prague” and an issue date of Feb. 26, 1996. The passports were real and initially given to the consulate as blanks. The birthplaces were listed as Sao Paulo, Brazil.

It’s unclear if the passports were ever used or if the visas were issued. Brazil’s foreign ministry told Reuters it was investigating the incident. 

North Korea’s ruling family have been rumored for years to use fake travel documents to leave the Hermit Kingdom.

KIM JONG UN’S BROTHER FEARED HIS LIFE WAS ‘IN DANGER’ MONTHS BEFORE HE WAS POISONED

Kim Jong Nam, the eldest son of Kim Jong Il who was killed by the banned VX nerve agent in February 2017, was arrested in May 2001 when he was arrested at an airport in Tokyo using a counterfeit passport, the BBC reported. He reportedly told officials he was planning to visit Tokyo Disneyland.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un gives a New Year address for 2017 in this undated picture provided by KCNA in Pyongyang on January 1, 2017. KCNA/via ReutersATTENTION EDITORS - THIS IMAGE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY. EDITORIAL USE ONLY. REUTERS IS UNABLE TO INDEPENDENTLY VERIFY THIS IMAGE. SOUTH KOREA OUT. NO THIRD PARTY SALES. NOT FOR USE BY REUTERS THIRD PARTY DISTRIBUTORS.Ê - RC181562F900

Kim Jong Un reportedly went by the name “Josef Pwag” on the Brazilian passport.  (Reuters)

Kim Jong Un, who went to international school in Berne, Switzerland, also reportedly traveled to Japan around 1991 using fake Brazilian passports under the name Joseph Pak, the Telegraph reported in 2011. The reported pseudonym is similar to the one seen on the passport Reuters reported Tuesday. 

Kim was with another boy, believed to be his brother Kim Jong Chul, and 10 other people that appeared to be North Korean officials. The visit lasted a week, according to South Korean media reports. 

Katherine Lam is a breaking and trending news digital producer for Fox News. Follow her on Twitter at @bykatherinelam

Categories: World News

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