Since July this year, not one but four large vessels have been seen in and around Wonsan, a coastal city known for hosting private villas for North Korea's elite, according to satellite image analysis by the BBC. The largest, at 80 metres long, shows a perfect floating rectangle, with most of its upper deck occupied by a four-lane Olympic-size swimming pool and four turquoise water slides.
The vessel appeared to have been under repair at a maintenance facility for months, but between July and October it was back on the water off the coast of the Kalma Peninsula, south of Wonsan. Three other large vessels, believed to belong to Kim and his family, measured 50, 55 and 60 metres. All four were previously seen in 2020 when Kim built a new villa complex north-east of Wonsan on the Hodo Peninsula. Experts say the smaller boats are probably used to ferry people and supplies to and from, as well as between, the larger vessels.
Kim is also reported to own another yacht valued at $10 million (£5.25 million), manufactured by British-owned Princess Yachts. The source article notes the 95MY model has an "expansive flybridge deck, generous staterooms and full-width saloon and dining area which can accommodate up to 10 people in elegant style". That yacht was seen in 2025 when Kim met Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. Princess Yachts is owned by LVMH, which also controls Louis Vuitton and Christian Dior.
Wonsan was once a missile-testing site but now hosts hotels, a beach resort that opened in 2025, restaurants, shops and, since July, a new railway station. The town is reportedly capable of hosting 20,000 visitors, although North Korea remains closed to most tourists since the COVID-19 pandemic, with only small numbers of Russian tourists and occasional domestic visitors reported.
The satellite images contrast sharply with conditions reported elsewhere in the country. According to a 2025 UN report, there are regular food shortages in North Korea and 40 per cent of the population lives undernourished. The BBC's analysis suggests the 80-metre vessel appears to be an upgrade of a boat in use during the reign of Kim's father, Kim Jong Il. Kim is believed to have spent much of his childhood visiting a family villa in Wonsan with his mother, and was seen having a drink on a beach there with Dennis Rodman in 2013.