Two of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un’s megayachts have undergone repairs and upgrades at a newly renovated shipyard in recent weeks, according to NK Pro analysis of satellite imagery.

The repair activity, which appears to occur annually in late winter and spring, reveals how Kim continues to prioritize his and his family’s luxurious lifestyle, even as state media reported this week on “significant shortages and difficulties” for ordinary people. 

Kim’s most-used megayacht was the first to appear at the central Wonsan shipyard’s repair yard this year: The 195-foot (60-meter), trapezoid-shaped custom vessel was towed there from his main Wonsan mansion compound’s private beach between March 16 and 17, according to Planet Labs imagery.

After being fitted with a new pale green-colored roof structure covering the length of the deck and possibly other upgrades, it appeared to be towed back to the DPRK leader’s mansion around a month later, between April 17 and 19. It appeared parked at his private beach on April 26.

This comparison shows the 195-foot (60-meter) megayacht at the central Wonsan repair yard in April 2022 (left) and April 2023 (right), sporting a new pale green roof following its most recent upgrades | Images: Planet Labs, edited by NK Pro

A second 180-foot (55-meter), red-roofed megayacht appeared to be moved from the outdoor storage marina to the repair yard next door also between April 17 and 19, likely to begin lengthy repairs and/or upgrades.

The trapezoidal megayacht last appeared at the repair yard a year earlier, from March to April 2022, before moving around between Kim’s private beach and attached marina over last summer and staying anchored at the beach for most of the fall and winter. 

The red-roofed vessel last appeared at the repair yard in late May 2022, before being anchored around islands off Wonsan’s Kalma Peninsula and docked at a secluded beach near another Kim mansion complex further up the coast last summer.

Kim has also used two other towed megayachts in recent years. The first, a 260-foot (80-meter) vessel with an Olympic-sized pool, multi-story lounge and twin waterpark-style waterslides on the deck, was still parked at the Wonsan shipyard as of April 26. The other, a 165-foot (50-meter) vessel with a blue roof, has been anchored off nearby Tae Island since early March.

Before-and-after comparison of the central Wonsan shipyard where Kim’s yachts are stored and repaired, showing newly constructed buildings and green roofing installed across most buildings | Images: Planet Labs, edited by NK Pro 

Additionally, at least three luxurious yachts — likely all British-made Princess yachts imported in the early 2010s — and two longer yachts that belonged to Kim’s father regularly appear at the central Wonsan storage and repair yards as well as his beach mansions on the east coast.

Meanwhile, Kim’s entire Wonsan shipyard complex received a complete makeover between late 2021 and early 2023, Planet Labs imagery shows. 

The project has involved the demolition of multiple buildings, including some as early as in 2018, and the construction of new administrative buildings, warehouses and Kim family monuments and murals.

Edited by Bryan Betts