A newly resurfaced trove of leaked travel documents has revealed that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un once used a fake Brazilian passport in a bizarre attempt to secure a visa to visit Disneyland — a secret trip that has stunned security analysts and reignited debate over how the reclusive dictator maneuvered internationally without detection.
According to diplomatic sources cited in a leaked report, the false Brazilian documents were issued under the name “Josef Pwag” and carried an authentic-looking photograph of Kim, clean-shaven and wearing Western-style clothing. The passport listed São Paulo as his birthplace and was valid for ten years, complete with a falsified identification number and address.
“Josef Pwag” — Kim Jong Un’s fake Brazilian identity used in an alleged bid to visit Disneyland. @Reuters
The documents, which date back to the mid-1990s when Kim was still a young man, were reportedly used to apply for travel visas to multiple countries — including Japan and Austria. But one of the most eyebrow-raising details is that Disneyland in the United States was among his rumored destinations. Intelligence officials told insiders familiar that the move was “part of a broader pattern of secret foreign travel by North Korean elites” seeking access to the West.
“This was a way for him to travel incognito without triggering diplomatic alarms,” one security official explained. “He wanted to see the West for himself — and Disneyland was one of those bucket list places.”
Analysts say the documents were among several obtained by Western intelligence agencies in cooperation with Brazilian authorities. An internal security memo, leaked to journalists, described the passports as “high-quality forgeries likely produced by the North Korean regime itself.” At the time, Kim was in his teens and not yet the supreme leader — but he was already being groomed to one day rule the country.
“He wanted to see the West for himself — and Disneyland was one of those bucket list places.” — Security Official @washingtonpost
Officials familiar with the investigation told people close that the forged passport bore the same birth date that Kim Jong Un uses publicly today. Experts believe this was intentional to avoid confusion in case the documents were ever closely inspected. One intelligence source called it “one of the most audacious — and surprisingly playful — schemes we’ve ever seen connected to the regime.”
Kim’s fascination with Western pop culture has been well documented. Former classmates in Switzerland have previously said he was obsessed with NBA basketball, American action movies, and Disney films. His alleged desire to visit Disneyland, however, adds a surreal twist to a regime that has long isolated its population from the outside world.
“The irony is chilling,” a defector who once worked for the regime told a former contact. “While millions in North Korea were starving, the future dictator was dreaming of Disneyland.”
“While millions in North Korea were starving, the future dictator was dreaming of Disneyland.” — North Korean Defector @voanews
While it remains unclear whether Kim’s Disneyland plan ever advanced beyond the visa application stage, experts say the passport revelation highlights how determined North Korea’s ruling family has been to access the outside world while keeping its own citizens locked away from it. Intelligence officials told a security briefing that this was “far from the only time” false passports were used by North Korean elites to travel discreetly.
Brazilian authorities confirmed years later that both Kim Jong Un and his father, Kim Jong Il, were in possession of fake Brazilian documents during the late 1990s. The discovery was made after internal records flagged anomalies in the passport applications, including photographs that closely matched known intelligence files on the Kim family.
Social media has exploded in reaction to the bizarre revelation, with memes, jokes, and political commentary flooding the platform. One viral tweet read, “Imagine Mickey Mouse having to welcome Kim Jong Un on Space Mountain.” Another quipped, “Even dictators can’t resist the Magic Kingdom.”
“Even dictators can’t resist the Magic Kingdom.” — Viral Tweet @PopCrave
Former intelligence operatives told a classified memo that the Disneyland scheme also fits a broader pattern: North Korean elites have a long history of using forged passports to facilitate travel to countries that would otherwise be inaccessible due to sanctions or diplomatic restrictions. These clandestine trips often focused on luxury purchases, medical care, or private leisure — perks unavailable to ordinary North Koreans.
“These people live double lives,” one expert said. “On one hand, they publicly denounce the West. On the other, they try everything to experience it privately.”
Though the Disney trip never materialized, the passport discovery continues to fascinate intelligence circles — both for its brazenness and its human absurdity. “It’s one of those strange, almost comical footnotes in global security,” an analyst told one intelligence source. “But it also shows how much effort the regime puts into protecting its leadership while denying basic freedom to everyone else.”
“They publicly denounce the West. Privately, they try everything to experience it.” — Intelligence Analyst @BBCWorld
As the leaked documents circulate globally, the image of Kim Jong Un as “Josef Pwag, Brazilian Disneyland tourist” has become an instant flashpoint of satire and outrage. For many, it’s a surreal reminder that even the world’s most secretive figures sometimes dream of standing in line for a ride at the Happiest Place on Earth.
