Summer is the time for making memories with family and friends, on shorter or extended vacations, in more or less exotic locales. The richer you are, the fancier the memories – as well as the locales and the means of transport used to get there.
Kim Jong-Un might be a lot of things, but he is also human – and, as a human, he seems to have somewhat of a soft spot for holidaying. Independent media outlet NK News reports that the Supreme Leader’s 12-day absence from the spotlight might have something to do with him being on holiday at his favorite retreat, where he has his own patch of land, his own marina, and a garage for all his superyachts and megayachts. In the plural, that is not a typo.
On August 10, exactly 12 days after he was last seen on official duty, one of Jong-Un’s vessels was spotted at anchor off the Hodo Peninsula, close to where the family home at Wonsan is. The leader has been said to vacation here whenever he can, both on his own and with an entourage, as he prefers this spot for how secluded it is, allowing all movement to go unnoticed. Moving around unnoticed is of the essence now, as North Korea is struggling with severe flooding, which has worsened the ongoing food crisis.
Satellite imagery shows a 180-foot (55-meter) megayacht anchored at the marina, with a smaller 60-foot (18-meter) hovering nearby. The latter is either some kind of security detail or the shadow vessel for the larger one.
Speaking of the larger vessel, it’s just one of many, as per the same media outlet: Jong-Un also owns a 165-foot (50-meter) superyacht, a 195-foot (60-meter) one, and a gigantic 260-footer (80 meters), presumably the one Dennis Rodman described in 2013 as a combination between a ferry and a Disney boat. “Like Ibiza” is how the former NBA star worded it, speaking of how the dictator had the best of everything around, from service to alcohol and the most thrilling entertainment.
“He's got 50 to 60 people around him all the time – just normal people, drinking cocktails and laughing the whole time,” Rodman said at the time after he returned from a one-week stay with one of the world’s most controversial rulers. Entertainment options onboard included theme park rides, water slides, a pool, and a full-size football pitch.
Dennis Rodman was never the most reliable narrator, but the fact that he’s been to North Korea several times and called Jong-Un his “friend for life” and overall a very nice guy gives some credence to his account of the megayacht. If it doesn’t, there’s always the fact that Kim Jong-Un is a dictator that’s been in power for 11 years. If there’s one thing dictators have in common, it’s their love for multi-million toys.
On August 10, exactly 12 days after he was last seen on official duty, one of Jong-Un’s vessels was spotted at anchor off the Hodo Peninsula, close to where the family home at Wonsan is. The leader has been said to vacation here whenever he can, both on his own and with an entourage, as he prefers this spot for how secluded it is, allowing all movement to go unnoticed. Moving around unnoticed is of the essence now, as North Korea is struggling with severe flooding, which has worsened the ongoing food crisis.
Satellite imagery shows a 180-foot (55-meter) megayacht anchored at the marina, with a smaller 60-foot (18-meter) hovering nearby. The latter is either some kind of security detail or the shadow vessel for the larger one.
Speaking of the larger vessel, it’s just one of many, as per the same media outlet: Jong-Un also owns a 165-foot (50-meter) superyacht, a 195-foot (60-meter) one, and a gigantic 260-footer (80 meters), presumably the one Dennis Rodman described in 2013 as a combination between a ferry and a Disney boat. “Like Ibiza” is how the former NBA star worded it, speaking of how the dictator had the best of everything around, from service to alcohol and the most thrilling entertainment.
“He's got 50 to 60 people around him all the time – just normal people, drinking cocktails and laughing the whole time,” Rodman said at the time after he returned from a one-week stay with one of the world’s most controversial rulers. Entertainment options onboard included theme park rides, water slides, a pool, and a full-size football pitch.
Dennis Rodman was never the most reliable narrator, but the fact that he’s been to North Korea several times and called Jong-Un his “friend for life” and overall a very nice guy gives some credence to his account of the megayacht. If it doesn’t, there’s always the fact that Kim Jong-Un is a dictator that’s been in power for 11 years. If there’s one thing dictators have in common, it’s their love for multi-million toys.