where was kim jong un educated
Kim Jong Un is widely reported to have been educated both in Switzerland and later at elite institutions in North Korea.
Quick Scoop: Where Was Kim Jong Un Educated?
Most open-source biographies say Kim Jong Un spent part of his teenage years at an international school near Bern, Switzerland, under an assumed identity, before returning to North Korea for higher and military education.
- He reportedly attended the International School of Berne in Gümligen, near Bern, Switzerland, in the 1990s.
- Classmates and later media reports describe him as a quiet student, obsessed with basketball and Western culture, living under the name “Pak Un” and presented as a diplomat’s son.
- After Switzerland, he is widely believed to have studied in Pyongyang , including at Kim Il Sung University and Kim Il Sung Military University (or National War College), institutions used to train North Korea’s future elite.
- Reports suggest he earned one degree in physics at Kim Il Sung University and officer training at the military university, although some experts debate the exact details.
In short, when people ask “where was Kim Jong Un educated,” the usual answer is: international school in Switzerland in his youth, then elite universities and military colleges in Pyongyang.
Mini timeline (simplified)
- Teen years in Switzerland – International School of Berne in or near Bern, under a cover identity linked to the North Korean embassy.
- Early 2000s back in Pyongyang – Studies at Kim Il Sung University and Kim Il Sung Military University/National War College , focused on ideology, military affairs, and technical subjects.
Multiple viewpoints & uncertainty
Because North Korea treats leaders’ personal histories as sensitive, much of Kim’s educational story comes from:
- Former classmates and neighbors in Switzerland speaking to journalists.
- Official North Korean accounts that emphasize his brilliance and early military training, which outside experts often view skeptically.
- Analytical pieces that try to reconcile the Swiss schooling with later, heavily ideological training in Pyongyang.
So while exact school years and degrees are still debated, the core consensus is:
- Abroad: International School of Berne, Switzerland.
- At home: Kim Il Sung University and a top military college in Pyongyang.
TL;DR: Kim Jong Un is believed to have gone to school in Switzerland (International School of Berne near Bern) as a teenager, then studied at Kim Il Sung University and a senior military academy in Pyongyang when he returned to North Korea.
Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.