20.10.2026 02:50
According to satellite images reviewed by the BBC, an 80-meter luxury yacht was repeatedly spotted off the coast of Wonsan, North Korea, from July to mid-October. The yacht, which has a 50-meter swimming pool and water slides on its deck, is believed to be used by Kim Jong Un and his family. It is estimated that about 40 percent of the country's population is in chronic food shortage.
On the coast of Wonsan, North Korea, an 80-meter luxury vessel appeared repeatedly in satellite images recorded from July 2026 to mid-October.
Among the ship's notable features were a 50-meter swimming pool running along the deck and a water slide at one end.
After remaining idle in a maintenance dock for months, the ship was moved in early July to the area known as Kalma Peninsula on the eastern coastline. This is near Wonsan, a seaside resort where a large villa used by North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and his family is located.
Nor was it the only large vessel on the move. In satellite images analyzed by the BBC, other ships also appeared repeatedly near Kim's villa.
These vessels are believed to be for the use of Kim and his family. Some former officials who defected from North Korea and experts say it would be difficult for anyone not connected to the regime's leadership to own or freely use yachts of this size. Ri Jong Ho says, "In winter they would keep them in the shipyard. When summer came, they would take them out and take them toward Kim Jong Un's villa or Kalma, and use them for swimming and recreation." Ri was once assigned to Office No. 39 of the Workers' Party. This office is thought to have played a role in procuring foreign currency for the party leadership and in business.
LUXURY YACHTS WHILE THE PEOPLE STRUGGLE WITH HUNGER
Determining the wealth of those at the top of the mysterious dictatorship in North Korea is as difficult as determining the country's economic data. The United Nations and other organizations classify North Korea as one of the world's poorest countries, based on estimates.
It is also pointed out that the country has a large military budget capable of financing a nuclear program. According to a 2025 United Nations report, most North Koreans live under "systematic, widespread and grave human rights violations." Under the state's total control, an estimated 40% of the population working under forced conditions is believed to be in chronic food shortage.
However, the regime has long been known to live in luxury. We do not know the cost of the vessels seen in the satellite images, but prices for similar luxury vessels range from tens of millions of dollars to more than $100 million. Kim's much smaller, 29-meter yacht named Princess was previously estimated to be worth about $7 million.
Although the ships' locations alone cannot definitively determine where the family is, the vessels' movements, which coincide with gaps in Kim's public appearances, are noteworthy. According to biographers and intelligence reports, Kim Jong Un spent part of his childhood with his mother in Wonsan. A North Korea expert speaking to the BBC said this city has been associated with the family since the rule of his father, Kim Jong Il. A defected official who served for 13 years from the 1990s to the early 2000s in Unit 974, which guarded the residences of then-leader Kim Jong Il, told the BBC that villas around Wonsan were used as retreats by the elite. The same official recalls seeing dozens of children and young people water-skiing in the summer months.
North Korean state media rarely publishes reports that Kim is on vacation; instead, it describes such visits as official inspections or guidance. North Korean defectors who have spoken to the BBC in the past appeared to be aware that the dynastic family vacationed in Wonsan. This shows that at least some North Koreans are aware of it.
North Korean state media also claims that Wonsan is home to high-rise hotels, restaurants, shops, sports facilities and water parks, and can accommodate about 20,000 visitors.
State media and Russian outlets also broadcast footage of small groups of Russian tourists visiting the Kalma resort in Wonsan, which opened in July 2025. Although it was developed to attract foreign visitors, the resort is also open to domestic tourists.
FOUR-NIGHT TOUR $100, ANNUAL INCOME $667
A report citing an anonymous source from South Korea says some North Koreans were offered four-night tour packages for about $100. This is a significant amount for most North Koreans. According to the United Nations, per capita annual income in the country is $667. This corresponds to a figure far behind the $36,227 income in neighboring South Korea.
Therefore, for the vast majority of North Koreans, a vacation is out of reach. Although a growing middle class exists, they too may not have time to spare for leisure.
There are defectors who told the BBC that workers, office employees and cooperative farmers legally have the right to 14 days of annual leave, but this is rarely implemented.
Taking consecutive days off and traveling is unusual. People generally travel on weekend trips or national holidays rather than during periods designated as "summer vacation."
Even if permission is granted, travel is restricted and official permission is required for people to travel outside their city or province. Moving freely is sometimes as much of a luxury as the vacation itself.
FOUR LARGE SHIPS TRACKED BY SATELLITE
The BBC tracked four large vessels around Wonsan, approximately 50 meters, 55 meters, 60 meters and 80 meters long. All four of these ships were seen repeatedly around Kim's villa in Wonsan this year.
The largest ship showed the most conspicuous movement. It moved from the dock toward the waters off the Kalma Peninsula and has been there since July. Two of the yachts, 50 meters and 55 meters long, were repeatedly seen near Tae and Sin islands near Wonsan until late August. Satellite images also showed four more small boats alongside the 50-meter vessel. Satellite image expert Jeong Seong-hak noted that the small boats carry people, fuel and supplies to the large ship, adding that small islands such as Tae and Sin offer "secluded maritime locations away from public view where privacy can be protected." The 60-meter ship was seen repeatedly near Kim's villa in Wonsan until last week.
Although North Korea has never publicly disclosed the official ownership of the ships, the BBC's analysis of historical satellite images revealed that in 2002, when Kim Jong Il ruled North Korea, a large ship with the same distinctive features was in Wonsan. Former NBA star Dennis Rodman, who visited North Korea in 2013, told the Sun newspaper that he spent most of his seven-day visit with Kim Jong Un around Wonsan, and that they jet-skied and rode horses together.
He also mentioned a 60-metre ship that they described as a hybrid between a ferry and a Disney boat. It is not clear whether this is the same as the 60-metre ship seen in the satellite images above.
We used artificial intelligence to translate this article, the original of which is in English. A BBC journalist checked the translation before publication. .
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