Mansions & yachts of North Korea’s mysterious elite revealed in satellite pics as Kim’s pals hoard cash and luxury cars
THE decadent lives of North Korea's elite have been exposed, as satellite images reveal where close allies of dictator Kim Jong-un live in luxury and hoard their riches.
While the average wage in North Korea is just £1,200 a year, the super-rich in this secretive communist dictatorship have amassed vast wealth, including fleets of expensive European cars, designer clothes, and cognac.
Google Maps images from space show large mansions, leafy gated compounds, and even beach resort inside the so-called "Hermit Kingdom".
Tyrant Kim Jong-un has his own residence in a secret compound near the port city of Wonsan on North Korea's east coast.
In 2020, it was reported that Kim had a new villa built at the secluded coastal spot at the southern tip of the Hodo peninsula, where Google Maps images showed his Princess yacht - valued at around $7m (£5.2m) in 2013 - moored up.
Michael Madden, a US-based expert on North Korea, told The Sun Online: "This is the same residential compound that Dennis Rodman visited during one of his visits to the country."
The non-resident fellow at the Stimson Center went on: "Some sources claim that the Wonsan compound is Kim Jong-un's primary residence.
"That is to say, he has an official residence in Pyongyang, but spends much of his time in the Wonsan residence."
Michael previously compared Wonsan to Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago in Florida, calling it "one of his favourite houses".
Kim's new villa is on the opposite side of the Yonghung Bay from Wonsan, where there is an existing villa and cluster of large houses home to North Korea's elite.
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Wonsan has become one of the more surprisingly touristy parts of North Korea and even features a water park.
Reuters has previously reported that the city is dotted with guest villas and serviced by a private beach, basketball court, and private train station.
Nearby is the tourist town of Wonsan-Kalma, a brand-new Dubai-like beach resort next to an airport spread along a 4km beach.
Many of the country's wealthiest have residences in the capital Pyongyang, particularly along Changkwang Street and in Taebodong.
"North Korean elites have a few residential compounds in Pyongyang where they live," Michael went on.
"Wealthy North Koreans generally hide their money in their homes."
This often takes the form of hard foreign currency, as opposed to the weaker North Korean won.
Many of the wealthiest North Koreans live in and around Changkwang Street near Pyongyang's "forbidden city" where KJU's HQ is located as well as his official residence.
We are talking about homes with gilded marble
Michael Madden
Taebodong is another of the capital's wealthiest areas, concentrated around the huge, unfinished Ryugyong Hotel, the so-called "Hotel of Doom".
The tallest building in North Korea, it stands at 330m tall and dominates the city's skyline.
Kim is believed to have up to 13 significant compounds around the country where he can live, although he only appears to regularly use half of them.
Wonsan is particularly useful for Kim as its location allows him to easily travel to other areas along the eastern coast, or return quickly to Pyongyang in his private train, or along a special highway designed solely for his use.
North Korea's elite can be divided into two main categories; those including Kim and his family, and those who earn their money through trade activity and state contracts.
The latter group manages and operates large trading corporations that "technically belong to the ruling Workers' Party of Korea or the Korean People's Army," Michael went on.
He said: "The core elite families - like Kim Jong-un's - have billions of US dollars. When we get to the trader cohort, and small business owners, it could be well into the hundreds of millions in US dollars."
Michael also gave a glimpse into the lavish lifestyles of North Korea's elite.
"We are talking about homes with gilded marble, fine carpets and other design appointments, high-end electronics, luxury cars such as Mercedes and Maybachs, designer shoes, and bags," he said.
"One of the most famous stories about elite North Koreans is that in the early 2000s, the DPRK was the largest single buyer of Hennessey cognac.
"It's a common misperception that this was the late leader Kim Jong-Il's private stock. Rather, it was meant for other North Korean elites - either as personal gifts or something to be served at the leader's parties."
Although North Korea has successfully quelled any hopes of an uprising from ordinary people, Michael said that tensions exist within the country's elites.
"We are already seeing the regime bringing some members of the mercantile classes to heel," he added.
In 2020, gave an insight into life for North Korea's rich kids.
A surprising number of western brands can be purchased in Pyongyang by those who have the resources, from luxury brands such as Chanel and Prada to more affordable chains including Zara, H&M, Adidas, and Nike.
They get around the country's strict fashion rules banning short skirts and sleeveless shirts by dressing up to go to the gym.
Plastic surgery is becoming more common for the 1%, as they look to emulate procedures popular in South Korea, including eyelid surgery or nose implants.
The secrecy shrouding North Korea means Google Maps often provides the most accurate image of the country.
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Earlier this week, chilling satellite pictures revealed a secret North Korean missile base on the country's border with China.
The discovery was made following a report by Washington think tank the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) who identified the site as the Hoejung-ni bunker.