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Defectors: Kim Jong Un addicted to Swiss cheese

North Korean defectors say dictator Kim Jong Un developed a taste for Swiss Emmental cheese while studying in Switzerland and now has the delicacy imported to keep his weight high.

By Ben Hooper
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PYONGYANG, North Korea, Sept. 18 (UPI) -- North Korean defectors claim Kim Jong Un's weight problems are partially due to the dictator's addiction to Swiss cheese.

Kim, 31, developed a taste for Emmental cheese while studying in Switzerland and he reportedly has it imported to North Korea so he can satisfy his cravings.

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One defector said the leader is believed to be purposefully increasing his weight to resemble his grandfather, North Korean founder Kim Il-sung.

"North Koreans think being fat is good, unlike South Koreans who want to be skinny," Cho Myung-Chul, a North Korean defector who now works with the Korea Institute for International Economic Policy, told The Mirror. "There is a high chance Jong Un intentionally gained weight to look like Il-sung."

Veronique Drouet, director of the National Dairy Industry College in France, confirmed earlier this year Kim Jong Un attempted to have envoys enrolled in cheese making courses so he could have his Emmental made locally, but the request was denied.

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