WONSAN: Satellite images analysed by the BBC show an 80-metre luxury vessel featuring a 50-metre swimming pool and waterslides operating near a coastal retreat associated with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and his family.
The vessel was repeatedly spotted off the Kalma Peninsula, near the eastern coastal city of Wonsan, between July and mid-October 2026. The area is close to a villa used by Kim and his family.
The BBC’s analysis identified four large vessels measuring approximately 50, 55, 60 and 80 metres that repeatedly appeared in waters around Wonsan this year. Their movements were tracked using satellite imagery from Vantor.
Although North Korea has not publicly disclosed the vessels’ ownership, former officials, defectors and experts cited by the BBC said vessels of this size would be difficult for people outside the country’s leadership to own or use freely.
Four Luxury Vessels Tracked Around Wonsan
According to the BBC, the 80-metre vessel remained at a maintenance facility for months before moving to waters near the Kalma Peninsula in early July. Satellite images showed it in the same general area in October.
Two other vessels, measuring 50 and 55 metres, were repeatedly observed near Tae and Sin islands until the end of August. A fourth vessel, measuring around 60 metres, was spotted near Kim’s Wonsan villa as recently as the week before the report was published.
Images also showed four smaller boats alongside the 50-metre vessel. Satellite imagery expert Jeong Seong-hak told the BBC that smaller boats could transport people, fuel and supplies to larger vessels.
The vessels’ movements do not independently establish whether Kim or members of his family were aboard at any particular time. However, the BBC reported that their locations overlapped with periods when Kim had fewer public appearances.
Historical satellite imagery also showed a vessel with similar distinctive features near Wonsan in 2002, during the rule of Kim’s father, Kim Jong Il.
Former North Korean official Ri Jong Ho, who previously worked at the Workers’ Party’s Office 39, told the BBC that vessels were moved from shipyards to the leadership’s coastal retreats during the summer for recreation.
Luxury Lifestyle Contrasts With North Korea’s Economic Hardship
The vessels highlight the contrast between the reported lifestyle of North Korea’s leadership and the economic difficulties faced by much of the country’s population.
The BBC said the prices of the vessels were unknown, although comparable luxury yachts can cost tens of millions of dollars or more than $100 million. Kim’s previously reported 29-metre Princess yacht was estimated to be worth around $7 million.
A 2025 United Nations report described conditions in North Korea as involving widespread human rights violations, extensive state control and forced labour. The report also highlighted continuing food insecurity, with an estimated 40% of the population undernourished.
North Korea’s Wonsan Kalma coastal resort opened in July 2025 and includes hotels, restaurants, shops, sports facilities and water parks, according to state media. The resort has also hosted Russian tourists.
However, holidays and domestic travel remain difficult for many North Koreans. The BBC reported that people generally need official permission to travel outside their city or county, while taking consecutive days off for leisure is uncommon.
A South Korean media report, citing an unnamed source, said some North Korean residents had been offered four-night holiday packages costing around $100. The amount represents a substantial expense in a country where per capita gross domestic product was estimated by the United Nations at approximately $667 in 2024.
North Korean state media rarely describes Kim’s visits to leisure locations as holidays, generally presenting his trips as official activities or inspections.
The BBC’s findings are based on satellite imagery, historical comparisons and interviews with former officials, defectors and experts. The precise ownership of the four vessels and the identities of those using them have not been publicly confirmed.
Originally Published by: BBC