A yacht in the satellite record

Satellite images analysed by the BBC show an 80-metre luxury vessel repeatedly off the coast of Wonsan between July and mid-October. Its most striking feature is a 50-metre swimming pool running along the deck, with a cluster of water slides at one end. After months laid up at a maintenance facility, the vessel moved in early July to waters off the Kalma peninsula. Three other large vessels, measured at roughly 50, 55 and 60 metres, were also seen several times near Kim Jong Un's villa. Smaller boats were spotted beside some of the ships, which an expert cited by the BBC judged could carry people, fuel and supplies.

Who the vessels are believed to serve

North Korean authorities do not disclose the formal owners of the vessels. Former officials, defectors and analysts say it would be very unlikely for anyone without links to the top of the regime to hold or freely use ships of this size. The BBC notes that the positions of the ships cannot confirm whether Kim was aboard, although their movements appear to coincide with periods when the leader was not seen in public. Ri Jong-ho, once an official in Office 39 of the Workers' Party, which is believed to raise and manage foreign currency for the leadership, described ships being stored in a shipyard in winter and brought out in summer for use at Kim's villa or at Kalma. Satellite archives also show a similar large vessel at Wonsan in 2002, under Kim Jong Il, the father of the current leader.

Wonsan and the Kalma resort

Wonsan is a coastal resort where, according to biographers and intelligence information, Kim Jong Un spent part of his childhood. Former security workers recalled that the surrounding residences served as summer bases for the ruling elite. In July 2025 a large tourism complex opened at Kalma, which state media said includes hotels, restaurants, shops, sports facilities and a water park, and can host close to 20,000 people. Ordinary residents have limited access to leisure, since travel between cities and regions requires official permits and long holidays are rare.

Wealth that is hard to measure

Wealth at the top of the regime is as hard to estimate as the country's economic data. The United Nations and other bodies rely on estimates to rank North Korea among the poorest countries in the world, while it spends heavily on its military and a sanctioned nuclear programme. A 2025 UN report described systematic, widespread and grave human rights violations, and about 40% of the population is undernourished. The BBC says the value of the vessels is unknown, though comparable luxury yachts cost from tens of millions of dollars to more than 100 million. Kim's earlier 29-metre Princess yacht was estimated at about 7 million dollars.