Mystery of Kim’s years in Swiss school

North Korea’s young leader Kim Jong-un spent more of his childhood being educated under a pseudonym in Switzerland than originally thought.

Jong-un first travelled to Switzerland in 1991, aged eight or nine, rather than in 1998 as had previously been established, Le Matin Dimanche and the Sonn-tagsZeitung reported yesterday, citing Swiss police documents. Little is known about the leader of the reclusive communist state, who took over from his father, the late Kim Jong-il, last year – not even his exact age.

Local education director Ueli Studer said in December that a boy known as Pak Un, registered as the child of a North Korean embassy employee, had attended a school in Berne from 1998 until late 2000. School friends have identified Pak Un as Kim Jong-un and Swiss newspapers say they have proven – through a scientific comparison of a school photo and current pictures of Mr Kim – that the two were one in the same.

The newspapers said it was not clear where the boy went to school between 1991 and 1998.

Berne’s international school has declined to comment on whether he was a pupil there.