What are the living conditions of Kim Jong Un and what do his wife, sister, and daughter wear?

According to an analysis by the research service NK Pro, which specializes in studying North Korea, the country's leader owns more than a dozen luxurious residences. As reported by The Wall Street Journal, construction work on at least nine of them began in late May — early June.

Among the properties is a private coastal complex in Wonsan, where Kim Jong Un usually spends the summer months. According to WSJ, it is there that a yacht worth about $7 million docks during his vacation. Work is also underway at a residence in Pyongyang, a country complex near a lake, and a huge family estate, which analysts claim even contains sites for ballistic missile test launches.

According to experts, the current renovation became possible due to the influx of financial and material resources that Pyongyang receives as a result of deepening cooperation with Russia and China.

North Korean state media do not report on these renovations. As the publication notes, an open display of a luxurious lifestyle would contradict official propaganda, according to which Kim allegedly shares hardships with his people.

Since access to his residences is practically impossible, researchers obtain basic information about the luxurious lifestyle of the North Korean dictator from satellite images. As WSJ notes, superyachts, equestrian arenas, and Olympic-sized swimming pools can be seen on them.

Павялічыць

One of the few confirmations of such a lifestyle comes from official photographs. Last year, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov visited Kim on his 29-meter, two-deck yacht. And former American basketball player Dennis Rodman, who met the North Korean leader in 2013, later compared a vacation on his yacht to a trip to Hawaii or Ibiza.

As The Wall Street Journal notes, luxury in North Korea serves not only the personal comfort of the country's leader but also helps maintain the loyalty of the ruling elite. The father of the current leader, Kim Jong Il, rewarded his close associates with expensive alcohol, Swiss watches, and other valuable gifts.

His son continued this practice on an even larger scale.

Despite international sanctions prohibiting the supply of expensive goods to North Korea — from Rolex watches to Mercedes-Maybach cars — Kim Jong Un and members of his family continue to use products from famous global brands.

WSJ drew attention to the fact that during a visit to Beijing in September, the North Korean leader was seen wearing a Swiss watch. According to South Korean intelligence, as early as 2015, Kim and his wife installed German-made saunas in their residences.

The sister of the North Korean leader, Kim Yo Jong, carries Dior bags worth over $7,000. His daughter, Kim Ju Ae, appeared in a puffer jacket of the same brand during an intercontinental ballistic missile launch, and Kim's wife was spotted with a Gucci bag during a visit to a factory.

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