North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, left, and his daughter, center | Image: KCNA (Dec. 1, 2023)
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has appeared to order roofwork and possibly other upgrades on at least nine of his mansion complexes across the country, according to NK Pro analysis of satellite imagery.
The activity is a rare visual sign of Kim’s vast network of resources and workers who carry out rapid personal projects to maintain the luxurious lifestyles of the dictator and his family.
Red circles indicate roof work at the Ryongsong mansion compound in Pyongyang | Image: Planet Labs (May 30, 2026), edited by NK Pro | Coordinates: 39.11613° N, 125.80489° E
Red circles indicate roof work at the Ryongsong mansion compound in Pyongyang | Image: Planet Labs (June 23, 2026), edited by NK Pro | Coordinates: 39.11613° N, 125.80489° E
Red circles indicate roof work at the Lake Yonphung mansion compound | Image: Planet Labs (May 30, 2026), edited by NK Pro | Coordinates: 39.65461° N, 125.80524° E
Red circles indicate roof work at the Lake Yonphung mansion compound | Image: Planet Labs (June 26, 2026), edited by NK Pro | Coordinates: 39.65461° N, 125.80524° E
Red circles indicate roof work at the Thongchon island mansion | Image: Planet Labs (May 31, 2026), edited by NK Pro | Coordinates: 38.98209° N, 127.88626° E
Red circles indicate roof work at the Thongchon island mansion | Image: Planet Labs (June 2, 2026), edited by NK Pro | Coordinates: 38.98209° N, 127.88626° E
Red circles indicate roof work at the Sinchon mansion compound | Image: Planet Labs (May 30, 2026), edited by NK Pro | Coordinates: 38.34997° N, 125.52828° E
Red circles indicate roof work at the Sinchon mansion compound | Image: Planet Labs (June 10, 2026), edited by NK Pro | Coordinates: 38.34997° N, 125.52828° E
Red circles indicate roof work at the Changsong mansion compound at the Chinese border | Image: Planet Labs (May 30, 2026), edited by NK Pro | Coordinates: 40.43385° N, 125.12862° E
Red circles indicate roof work at the Changsong mansion compound at the Chinese border | Image: Planet Labs (June 26, 2026), edited by NK Pro | Coordinates: 40.43385° N, 125.12862° E
Red circles indicate roof work at the Jindallae mansion compound in east Pyongyang, but not the Samsok facility (left) | Image: Planet Labs (May 31, 2026), edited by NK Pro | Coordinates: 39.11022° N, 125.99705° E
Red circles indicate roof work at the Jindallae mansion compound in east Pyongyang, but not the Samsok facility (left) | Image: Planet Labs (June 2, 2026), edited by NK Pro | Coordinates: 39.11022° N, 125.99705° E
Red circles indicate roof work at the Wonsan beach mansion compound | Image: Planet Labs (May 30, 2026), edited by NK Pro | Coordinates: 39.19244° N, 127.40265° E
Red circles indicate roof work at the Wonsan beach mansion compound | Image: Planet Labs (June 2, 2026), edited by NK Pro | Coordinates: 39.19244° N, 127.40265° E
Red circles indicate roof work at the Kangdong mansion compound in Pyongyang | Image: Planet Labs (May 31, 2026), edited by NK Pro | Coordinates: 39.20075° N, 126.01763° E
Red circles indicate roof work at the Kangdong mansion compound in Pyongyang | Image: Planet Labs (June 15, 2026), edited by NK Pro | Coordinates: 39.20075° N, 126.01763° E
Red circles indicate roof work at the Soho mansion compound in Ragwon | Image: Planet Labs (May 31, 2026), edited by NK Pro | Coordinates: 39.85830° N, 127.77922° E
Red circles indicate roof work at the Soho mansion compound in Ragwon | Image: Planet Labs (June 2, 2026), edited by NK Pro | Coordinates: 39.85830° N, 127.77922° E
These are the first publicly available high-resolution photos of Kim’s newest known mansion compound, built at Lake Yonphung in 2022 | Image: Google Earth (Feb. 17, 2026)
These are the first publicly available high-resolution photos of Kim’s newest known mansion compound, built at Lake Yonphung in 2022 | Image: Google Earth (Feb. 17, 2026)
The work started simultaneously at most locations between May 30 and June 2, and later in June in a few cases.
Such maintenance is expected at what are considered Kim’s main mansions in Ryongsong, Kangdong and Wonsan, but is less expected at remote locations like in Thongchon, which is on a small island just off the east coast.
The work on the mansion at Lake Yonphung also comes just a few years after it was built. It is now one of Kim’s largest and most modern luxury compounds in the country.
Notably, similar roofwork did not appear to occur at other large Kim mansion complexes in Pyongyang like at the central party headquarters, Samsok and Lake Thaesong, as well as elsewhere across the country at Sinuiju, Jamosan, Majon, Samjiyon, Hodo Peninsula, Kanggye and Jongbangsan.
The fact that the work took place simultaneously helps link the locations together as important facilities that are actively maintained for the ruling Kim family and close associates.
It also raises questions about how other facilities are operated, like the Kobangsan Hotel in Pyongyang, which was also reroofed around the same time between May 24 and 30.
This was a hotel run by national carrier Air Koryo and open to foreign guests within the last decade, but Kim Jong Un also used it for a military banquet in 2023 and Chinese guests called it the Kobangsan Guesthouse.
It is likely that Kim’s order extended beyond just his private homes to those used for special guest events, since roofwork also occurred in the same period on a building in Myohyangsan that was used for a major party plenum from June 20 to 22.
One interpretation of the activity is that it can help determine which mansions Kim favors or frequents most.
On the other hand, it is also possible that Kim maintains some sites as a security measure to confuse or occupy analysts in the U.S. and South Korea who are tasked with tracking his movements.
The maintenance of Kim and his family’s luxurious facilities contrasts with the leader’s public speeches, where he often preaches communist values and condemns lavish lifestyles.
Colin Zwirko is a Senior Analytic Correspondent for NK News based in Seoul. He joined the company in 2018 after receiving a master's degree in international security and foreign policy from South Korea's Yonsei University. Follow him on Bluesky / Twitter.
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