Luxury Vessel Spotted Near Kim Jong Un’s Wonsan Summer Retreat

Satellite photos have repeatedly captured an 80-meter luxury vessel featuring a cluster of waterslides and a swimming pool off North Korea’s Wonsan coast between July and mid-October.

Vessel Movements Near the Wonsan Coastline

After sitting idle for months at a maintenance facility, the large vessel relocated in early July to waters off the Kalma Peninsula. This coastal strip is located close to a sprawling villa used by North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and his family. Satellite imagery analyzed by the BBC revealed that a handful of other large vessels were also repeatedly observed moving near the leader’s residence during the same period.

The timing of these maritime movements coincides with gaps in Kim Jong Un’s public appearances. Former North Korean officials and defectors explain that such vessels are typically kept in shipyards during the winter months and brought out for summer recreation near the Wonsan villas.

Ri Jong Ho, a former official at the Workers’ Party’s Office 39—an entity believed to manage foreign currency for the leadership—told the BBC how the regime utilizes these assets. In winter, they would keep them at the shipyard. When summer came, they would bring them out and move them to Kim Jong Un’s villa or towards Kalma, and use them for swimming and recreation, Ri said.

Historical Ties to Wonsan and Elite Recreation

Wonsan holds long-standing connections to the ruling family. Biographers and intelligence reports note that Kim Jong Un spent part of his childhood in the city with his mother. Experts consulted by the BBC confirmed that the coastal area has been associated with the family since the rule of Kim Jong Il.

A defector who served for 13 years guarding residences used by Kim Jong Il through the 1990s and early 2000s recalled seeing dozens of children and teenagers waterskiing during the summer months at the Wonsan elite retreats. While North Korean state media rarely publishes reports about holiday visits, preferring to frame such travel as official guidance or inspections, defectors indicate that the family’s use of the area was an open secret among some residents.

Luxury Yachts Contrast with North Korean Food Shortages

Comparable luxury yachts typically cost anywhere from tens of millions to over $100m (£75m), while a smaller 29-metre Princess yacht previously owned by Kim was estimated at about $7m.

According to a 2025 United Nations report cited by Yahoo News, the majority of North Koreans live under systematic human rights violations, marked by chronic food shortages that leave an estimated 40% of the population undernourished. United Nations figures place North Korea’s per capita GDP at approximately $667 in 2024, a fraction of South Korea’s $36,227.

In addition, Russian outlets and state media have shared photographs showing small tourist parties from Russia touring the Wonsan Kalma resort following its July 2025 opening. Although state media claims the sprawling resort features high-rise hotels, restaurants, sports facilities, and water parks capable of accommodating nearly 20,000 visitors, access remains limited. A South Korean news report cited by Yahoo News indicated that some locals were offered four-night tour packages for around $100—a substantial expenditure for ordinary citizens whose holidays generally remain out of reach.