Former classmates describe Kim Jong Un's childhood in Switzerland

Former schoolmates of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un have shared accounts of his time attending a German-speaking public school near Bern, Switzerland. During his years studying abroad, he reportedly used the name ‘Pak Un’ and was known to his peers as the child of a North Korean embassy employee.

Classmates described the current leader as having a good sense of humor and a competitive nature, with one peer noting that he ‘hated to lose’. Accounts from his time in Switzerland include his fondness for basketball and a collection of Nike trainers. While his former friends spoke warmly of him, describing him as a ‘good guy’ who was well-liked by other children, a former bodyguard of his father, Kim Jong-il, offered a different perspective, stating the young Kim was often stressed and lacked peers his own age.

Kim Jong Un is believed to have attended school in Switzerland to experience life outside of North Korea, a practice encouraged by his father, who also spent much of his youth in the country.