LONDON (Reuters) - 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 told Reuters.

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 Reuters have not been published before.

“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.

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.

A scan obtained by Reuters shows an authentic Brazilian passport issued to North Korea's leader Kim Jong-un. Handout via REUTERS

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

Japanese newspaper Yomiuri Shimbun reported in 2011 that Jong Un visited Tokyo as a child using a Brazilian passport in 1991 - before the issue date on the two Brazilian passports.

‘JOSEF PWAG’

Both 10-year passports carry a stamp saying “Embassy of Brazil in Prague” with a Feb. 26, 1996, issue date. The security sources said facial recognition technology confirmed the photographs were those of Kim Jong Un and his father.

The passport with Jong Un’s photo was issued in the name of Josef Pwag with a date of birth of Feb. 1, 1983.

So little is known about Jong Un that even his birth date is disputed. He would have been 12 to 14 years old when the Brazilian passport was issued.

Jong Un is known to have been educated at an international school in Berne, Switzerland, where he pretended to be the son of an embassy chauffeur.

Jong Il’s passport was issued in the name Ijong Tchoi with a birth date of April 4, 1940. Jong Il died in 2011. His true birth date was in 1941.

Both passports list the holders’ birthplaces as Sao Paulo, Brazil.

A scan obtained by Reuters shows an authentic Brazilian passport issued to North Korea's late leader Kim Jong-il. Handout via REUTERS

The first security source declined to describe how the passport copies had been obtained, citing secrecy rules.

Reuters has only seen photocopies of the passports so was unable to discern if they had been tampered with.</s>Kim Jong-un and father used fake Brazilian passports to apply for Western visas

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 told Reuters.

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

"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.

The North Korean embassy in Brazil declined to comment, while 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.

Japanese newspaper Yomiuri Shimbun reported in 2011 that Kim Jong-un visited Tokyo as a child using a Brazilian passport in 1991 — before the issue date on the two Brazilian passports.

Both 10-year passports carry a stamp saying "Embassy of Brazil in Prague" with a February 26, 1996, issue date.

The security sources said facial recognition technology confirmed the photographs were those of Kim Jong-un and his father.

The passport with Kim Jong-un's photo was issued in the name of Josef Pwag with a date of birth of February 1, 1983.

So little is known about Kim Jong-un that even his birth date is disputed.

He would have been 12 to 14 years old when the Brazilian passport was issued.

Kim Jong-un is known to have been educated at an international school in Berne, Switzerland, where he pretended to be the son of an embassy chauffeur.

Kim Jong-il's passport was issued in the name Ijong Tchoi with a birth date of April 4, 1940.

Jong Il died in 2011 and his true birth date was in 1941.

Both passports list the holders' birthplaces as Sao Paulo, Brazil.

Reuters has only seen photocopies of the passports so was unable to discern if they had been tampered with.</s>North Korean Supreme leader Kim Jong-un and his late father Kim Jong-il had reportedly used fake Brazilian passports to obtain visas from foreign embassies to visit Western countries in the 1990s, Reuters reported.

The incident came to light when a senior Western security source told 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."

The officials further added that the two Brazilian passports with names Josef Pwag and Ijong Tchoi were created by the ruling family of North Korea.

On the condition of anonymity, he said, "This shows the desire for travel and points to the ruling family's attempts to build a possible escape route."

A facial recognition technology also confirmed that the picture used in the two passports were of the North Korean leaders.

According to the Reuters report, a Japanese newspaper called Yomiuri Shimbun had also reported about the incident in 2011 when the North Korean leader visited Tokyo as a kid. Kim Jong-un had also reportedly studied in a school in Switzerland when he was a kid.

The North Korean embassy in Brazil did not comment on the issue, however, the foreign embassy is said to be investigating into the matter.
• The name of Kim Jong-un in his Brazilian passport is Josef Pwag (born February 1, 1983) while his father Kim-Jong il was named Ijong Tchoi with a birth date of April 4, 1940.
• Both the North Korean leaders' birthplace is mentioned as Sao Paulo, Brazil.
• The 10-year passport was issued on February 26, 1996, from the "Embassy of Brazil in Prague".
• It is believed that the passports may have led the father-son duo to travel to nations like Brazil, Japan and Hong Kong.
• If the visas were issued for the North Korean leaders, however, is still unconfirmed.</s>A scan obtained by Reuters shows an authentic Brazilian passport issued to North Korea's leader Kim Jong-un and his late father Kim Jong-il.. Source: Handout via Reuters

NORTH KOREA’S leader Kim Jong Un and his late father Kim Jong Il used illegally obtained genuine Brazilian passports to apply for visas to visit Western countries in the 1990s.

In an exclusive report, Reuters reported that according to five Western European security sources the passports were issued for the Kims with the names Josef Pwag and Ijong Tchoi, and were potentially used to travel to Brazil, Japan and Hong Kong.

“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.

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

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 Reuters have not been published before. The Brazilian foreign ministry said it was investigating the matter. The country has an ethnic Korean population of around 50,000 – the largest in Latin America.

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Both 10-year passports carry a stamp saying “Embassy of Brazil in Prague” with a Feb 26, 1996, issue date. The security sources said facial recognition technology confirmed the photographs were those of Kim Jong Un and his father.

Japanese newspaper Yomiuri Shimbun reported in 2011 that Jong Un visited Tokyo as a child using a Brazilian passport in 1991 – before the issue date on the two Brazilian passports.

He is known to have been educated at an international school in Berne, Switzerland, where he pretended to be the son of an embassy chauffeur.</s>North Korea leader Kim Jong-un and his deceased father Kim Jong II reportedly used fake Brazilian passports for visa applications to gain access to Western counties in the 1990s, Western Security sources told Reuters.

Photocopies of the passports, which were Brazilian, appeared to show pictures of the North Korean leaders under pseudonyms Josef Pwag and Ijong Tchoi.

The documents contained stamps from the Brazilian Embassy in Prague and were implicated in visa applications for at least two Western countries, Reuters reported Wednesday.

A senior Western Security source, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, confirmed to Reuters that the documents were perhaps used as a back route to other countries.

"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," the source said. "This shows the desire for travel and points to the ruling family's attempts to build a possible escape route."

An anonymous Brazilian source said that the passports were legitimate when sent out as blanks to the embassies. It was unclear whether they physically obtained the visas or traveled with the passports, however, sources said that the two possibly visited Brazil, Hong Kong and Japan during the time.

The North Korean Embassy refused to comment, while Brazil's foreign ministry claimed to have launched an investigation.

In 2011, Japanese newspaper Yomiuri Shimbun reported that Kim Jong-un visited Tokyo as a child with a Brazilian passport. He reportedly studied at a Swiss boarding school in the 1990s, where he pretended to be a relative of a North Korean embassy official.

Kim Jong-un took leadership of North Korea after his father died in 2011. During his reign, Kim Jong-un has spearheaded the development of the country's weapons and engaged in several verbal spats with U.S. President Donald Trump.</s>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.

“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.”

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.

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.

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.</s>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.

“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.

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.</s>Security sources claim the pair used the documents to apply for visas in at least two Western countries. The passports, which are stamped ‘Embassy of Brazil in Prague’, list the Kims as Brazilian citizens and may have been used to travel to Brazil, Japan and Hong Kong. Copies of the never-before-seen documents show the travel papers were registered under false names but include pictures of a young Kim Jong-un and his father, Kim Jong-il. A senior Western security source told 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.

"This shows the desire for travel and points to the ruling family's attempts to build a possible escape route.” Kim Jong-un’s passport, which carries the name Josef Pwag, gives his place of birth as Sao Paulo, Brazil, and lists his date of birth as February 1, 1983. The dictator’s exact date of birth is disputed but many experts believe he was born in 1983, meaning he would have been around 13-years-old when the Brazilian passport was issued. Little is known about his childhood, but he was educated under an assumed name at private international school in Switzerland before returning to North Korea.

Japanese media has previously reportedly Kim Jong-un visited Tokyo using a Brazilian passport in 1991. However this was before the February 1996 issue date of this newly-discovered passport. The document registered to his father, Kim Jong-il, is issued under the name Ijong Tcho and also lists Sao Paulo as his place of birth. His son took over as North Korea’s supreme leader after his death in 2011.

A Brazilian source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the two passports were legitimate documents which were sent out as blanks for consulates to issue. Four other senior Western European security sources confirmed the two Brazilian documents were used to apply for visas in at least two Western countries. But it is not known whether the pair were successful in obtaining any visas using the passports. The North Korean embassy in Brazil declined to comment and Brazil's foreign ministry said it was investigating.</s>Kim Jong Un and his father Kim Jong Il - who died in 2011 - used fraudulently obtained Brazilian passports to apply for visas to visit countries in the West in the 1990s, according to five senior European security sources.

The current North Korean leader was issued a passport under the name "Josef Pwag" and his father under the name "Ijong Tchoi". The passports were used to apply for visas in at least two countries.

Although the ruling family is known to have used travel documents obtained under false pretences, the photocopies of the Brazilian passports have not been published before.

One senior Western security source, speaking anonymously, said: "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.

"This shows the desire for travel and points to the ruling family's attempts to build a possible escape route."

The North Korean embassy in Brazil declined news agency requests for comment and the Brazilian foreign ministry said it was investigating.

An anonymous source in Brazil confirmed the authenticity of the documents.

The four other senior European security sources confirmed the two passports were used to apply for visas in at least two countries. It is unclear if any visas were in fact issued.

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

In 2011, Japanese newspaper Yomiuri Shimbun reported Kim Jong Un had visited Tokyo in 1991 as a child using a Brazilian passport - before the issue date on the two passports found.

The 10-year travel documents carry a stamp which reads: "Embassy of Brazil in Prague."

They have an issue date of 26 February 1996.

The security officials said facial recognition technology confirmed the photographs were of Kim Jong Un and his father.

The North Korean leader's date of birth is widely disputed but on the passport with his photograph, the date of birth is 1 February 1983. He would have been between 12 and 14-years-old when the documents were issued.

Kim Jong Un is known to have attended an international school in Switzerland where he pretended to be the son of an embassy chauffeur.

The passport with his father's photograph has the date of birth 4 April 1940. Kim Jong Il was actually born in 1941.

Their birthplace is Sao Paulo, according to the documents.

The security officials declined to reveal how they got hold of the passport copies - the original passports have not been obtained.</s>It's been widely suspected for decades that North Korea's political elite - including members of the ruling Kim family - would obtain Western visas under false pretenses, but for the first time, Reuters has published images of a fraudulently obtained Brazilian passports that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un used to apply for visas to visit western countries.

Over the years, specific details about the Kim family's strategy for covertly traveling abroad have proven elusive - until now. Previously, images of a fraudulent Dominican Republic passport belonging to Kim Jong Nam, the half-brother of Kim Jong Un who was assassinated two years ago, surfaced after his death...

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.

Unnamed Western security officials say the passports reveal the ruling family's preparations for a possible "escape route" should they ever lose their grip on power.

"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.

Four other senior Western European security sources told Reuters 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.

Though it's unclear whether any visas were actually issued. The passports may have been used to travel to Brazil, Japan and Hong Kong. A Japanese newspaper reported in 2011 that KJU visited Tokyo in 1991 - when he was still a child - using a Brazilian passport, which is before the issue date on the two Brazilian passports obtained by Reuters.

Both passports, which were good for 10 years, were stamped with "Embassy of Brazil in Prague" with a Feb. 26, 1996, issue date. Facial recognition technology has reportedly confirmed the photographs were those of Kim Jong Un and his father.

So little is known about KJU that even the date of his birth is disputed. The passport issued for him in the name of Josef Pwag had a Feb. 1, 1983 date of birth. If that's an accurate birth date, that would mean Kim is 35. KJU is known to have been educated at an international school in Berne, Switzerland, where he reportedly pretended to be the son of an embassy chauffeur.

Kim Jong Il's passport was issued in the name Ijong Tchoi, with a birth date of April 4, 1940. Kim Jong Il died in 2011. His actual birth date was in 1941. Both passports list the birthplaces of the two men as Sao Paulo, Brazil.

Reuters was unable to confirm that the passports hadn't been tampered with.
Five unnamed Western European security sources say that North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and his father Kim Jong-il used fraudulently obtained Brazilian passports in order to apply for visas to visit Western countries in the 1990s.