Satellites monitor luxury ships with a pool for the North Korean leader

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Satellite images spotted an 80-meter-long luxury ship off the coast of the city of Wonsan in North Korea, which includes a 50-meter-long swimming pool on its deck with a group of water slides, in a location close to a summer resort used by Korean leader Kim Jong Un and his family.

The ship appeared repeatedly in the area between July and mid-October, after remaining parked for months in a maintenance facility. Then it moved to the waters off the Kalma Peninsula near Wonsan, where there is a spacious villa used by Kim.

However, it was not alone, as other large ships were spotted near the same villa, according to an analysis conducted by the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) of satellite images.

It is widely believed that these ships are intended for Kim and his family, as former officials, defectors and experts have said that it would be difficult for anyone outside the leadership circle to own or use ships of this size freely.

However, the locations of the ships alone do not prove the presence of the family on board, and Pyongyang has not officially announced their ownership, nor is there information available about their cost.

The tracking operation included 4 large ships with lengths of about 50, 55, 60 and 80 meters, all of which appeared repeatedly around Villa Wonsan.

While the two ships, 50 and 55 meters long, were seen until the end of August near the islands of Tai and Sin, and alongside the first were four smaller boats. Satellite imagery expert Jeong Song Hak said these boats were transporting people, fuel and supplies to the large ship.

He also added that small islands provide isolated marine havens that preserve privacy away from sight. The 60-meter-long ship appeared near the villa until recently.

Old photos also showed the presence of a large ship with the same distinctive characteristics in Wonsan in 2002, during the reign of former leader Kim Jong Il. Ri Jong-ho, a former official at the Workers' Party's 39th Bureau, an office believed to collect foreign currency for the leadership, said the ships were kept in the winter at the shipyard and then transported in the summer to Kim's villa or towards Kalma for swimming and recreation.

A defector who worked as a guard at Kim Jong Il's headquarters for 13 years said that Wonsan's villas were a haven for the elite, and that he saw dozens of children and teenagers practicing water skiing in the summer.

Former American basketball star Dennis Rodman, who visited North Korea in 2013, said that he spent most of his visit with Kim in the vicinity of Wonsan, where they practiced jet skiing and horses. He described the 60-metre-long ship as a mix between a ferry and a boat from Disney World. According to The Sun newspaper, it is not clear whether it is the same ship that appeared in the photos.

These scenes came in a country classified by the United Nations among the poorest countries in the world. A report by the organization in 2025 stated that the majority of the population lives under systematic, widespread and gross violations of human rights, with complete state control, forced labor, and chronic food shortages that leave about 40% of them suffering from malnutrition.

While the per capita GDP reached about $667 in 2024, according to the United Nations, compared to $36,227 in South Korea. Prices for similar luxury yachts range from tens of millions to more than $100 million. While the value of Kim's smaller yacht, "Princess", with a length of 29 meters, was estimated at about 7 million dollars.

Korean official media indicated that Wonsan includes high-rise hotels, restaurants, shops, sports facilities and water parks and can accommodate about 20,000 visitors, and published pictures of Russian tourists at the Wonsan Kalma Resort, which opened in July 2025.

South Korean reports, citing an unidentified source, also spoke of offering tourist packages for four nights for about $100 to some residents, which is information that has not been independently verified.

Dissenters also confirmed that workers, employees, and cooperative farmers are legally entitled to 14 days of annual leave, but this is rarely implemented, and travel outside the city or province requires official permission.