Over the last few months, the rapid construction of a new, private mansion compound on a politically-significant patch of land off Pyongyang’s Ryomyong Street provided early signs of an imminent visit from a VIP guest.

Completed from start to finish in just over three months since early February, NK News can now confirm the new luxurious mansions make up the Kumsusan Guesthouse, where Chinese President Xi Jinping stayed Thursday night this week.

Images of the exterior of one of the buildings were shown in both Chinese and North Korean state media on Friday, providing details of the building’s shape and layout matching one in the new complex seen in satellite images.

NK News first broke the story Thursday shortly after Chinese media reported that a welcoming ceremony was held for Xi at the Kumsusan Palace of the Sun on his way to his lodgings, named as the Kumsusan Guesthouse – a previously-unknown location.

The similarity of the names and location of the new mansion compound directly next to the Palace, along with evidence in satellite imagery of features on the grounds such as private roads and a circular driveway indicative of a guesthouse or other private facility, provided the first clues as to its identity.

Now, comparing the images above, analysis reveals that the roof levels and shape of the front entrance of the Kumsusan Guesthouse where Xi stayed, along with the features in the driveway, match the building shown in the Google Earth satellite imagery.

That particular building, situated at the north end of an existing pond, appeared mostly complete in the April 21 high-resolution image above, just over eight weeks after the park grounds had contained only walkways and landscaping.

Another mansion across the pond was still under construction at the time, but these and other structures in the compound were all finished by May 21, according to daily satellite imagery provided by Planet Labs.

The other buildings were not shown in either country’s state media coverage of the Kim-Xi summit, however, while a dinner banquet held Thursday night was held across town at the Mokran Banquet house.

An initial one-on-one meeting and expanded talks with other top officials from both countries were held at the Kumsusan Guesthouse Thursday afternoon, according to the North’s Korean Central News Agency.

Interior shots of the new guesthouse showed luxurious features and accents not dissimilar to other state facilities used to host other foreign leaders since 2018, including the Paekhwawon Guesthouse which hosted the South Korean and Cuban presidents last year.

The close proximity of the existing Paekhwawon Guesthouse to both the new Kumsusan Guesthouse and Kumsusan Palace of the Sun initially caused some in the South Korean press to mistakenly name it as the location where Xi would be staying Thursday night.

Its proximity and existing function also raises questions over the purpose of building a brand new guesthouse right next door, likely at great expense.

“Why the North Korean leader decided to build a brand new residence at this location is unknown, but the highly symbolic value of the location right next to the Palace of the Sun is pretty clear,” Peter Ward, a writer and researcher focused on the North Korean economy, told NK News.

The Kumsusan Palace of the Sun houses the preserved bodies of deceased former leaders Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il, and Chinese media characterized Kim’s hosting of a welcoming ceremony there Thursday as a historic event and a sign of the DPRK’s respect.

Describing the Palace as “the historic seat of power and probably the most important symbol of the North Korean state,” Ward said “it makes sense that honored foreign dignitaries might be housed nearby.”

Details such as whether the new mansions were built specifically for Xi’s visit or who ordered the project in the first place may never be known.

NK News analysis previously showed that temporary structures began to appear in an adjacent field in October last year, but that construction did not begin until after February 4.

The speed with which the Kumsusan Guesthouse was built and the timing of Xi’s visit following its rapid construction – also becoming its first distinguished guest – at least shows preparations for a VIP guest were well underway for months.

Edited by Oliver Hotham

Featured image: KCTV