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Satellite images show Kim Jong Un's boat moving around his luxury coastal resort, creating more confusion over his whereabouts

Apr 29, 2020, 19:16 IST
Business Insider
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in a photo released by state media on April 11, 2020.KCNA via Reuters
  • Satellite images show that a boat used by Kim Jong Un at his luxury coastal resort is moving around.
  • Kim has not been seen in public since April 11 and surprisingly missed massive celebrations, such as his grandfather's birthday on April 15.
  • Early reports suggested he had undergone heart surgery, but South Korean officials have moved recently to quell the rumors. One minister said Kim could just be self-isolating to avoid catching the coronavirus.
  • Images taken over the resort in Wonsan in April show movement from a 60-meter leisure boat, according to NK Pro. Kim's personal train has been at a nearby station since April 21.
  • Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.
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Satellite images show that a luxury boat used by missing North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is on the move, adding intrigue to the quest to track him down.

Kim has not made a public appearance since April 11, and his absence from the celebration of his grandfather's birthday on April 15 prompted a flurry theories of theories that he was unwell, or even dead. His grandfather, Kim Il Sung, founded North Korea and his birthday is one of the most important events in the country.

But images taken above Kim's luxury coastal resort in Wonsan in April show movement from a 60-meter leisure boat typically used by Kim, according to NK Pro, including during a visit by NBA star and friend to Kim, Dennis Rodman.

NK Pro reported that since 2013, the boat often traverses the bay while Kim is in the area conducting official visits.

You can see all the satellite images on NK Pro here.

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A separate roll of satellite images, published this weekend by 38 North, showed Kim's personal train parked at Leadership Railway Station, near the Wonsan villa, on April 21.

A special armored train (foreground) transporting North Korean leader Kim Jong Il parked at a railway station in Ulan-Ude, Russia, in August 2011.Anna Ogorodnik/AP

Rumors of Kim's ill health first gained momentum on April 21 after a NK News published a story reporting that Kim had undergone heart surgery and was recovering at a villa outside Pyongyang, the capital of North Korea.

Reuters also reported that China had dispatched a team of medical experts to travel to North Korea and advise on Kim's health.

While rumors abound, Korean peninsula experts and South Korean officials are playing down the reports that Kim is unwell.

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Kim is "alive and well," an adviser to South Korean president Moon Jae-in told Fox News on Sunday.

Kim Yeon-chul, a South Korean minister overseeing relations with the North, said on Tuesday that Kim could be isolating in Wonsan to minimize the risk of catching the coronavirus.

Donald Trump on Monday said he was aware of how Kim was doing, but declined to give any more details.

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