Satellite images showing luxury boats suggest Kim Jong Un isolating in villa

North Korea’ supreme leader Kim Jong Un may be isloating himself in his villa to avoid getting exposed to the coronavirus infection, according to reports.

Recently, satellite images monitored by experts in the US suggest movements of luxury boats often used by Kim Jong Un and his entourage near Wonsan, according to a Reuters report. These images provide further indications that the leader has been at the coastal resort, according to some experts who check and monitor the reclusive regime.

After Kim’s unprecedented absence from celebrations to mark his late grandfather and North Korea’s founder, Kim Il Sung’s birthday on April 15, speculations about his ill health erupted.

On April 28, North Korea’s monitoring website NK PRO revealed that the commercial satellite imagery showed boats regularly used by Kim, making movements in patterns.

This suggests that he and his entourage may be in the villa area in Wonsan. This followed a report last week by a North Korea monitoring project, 38 North, based in the US, that satellite images suggest Kim’s personal train was parked at a specific station, reserved for him at the Wonsan villa.

According to officials of South Korea and United States, Kim may be staying in the villa to avoid any exposure to the novel coronavirus. The officials cautioned that Kim’s location and health are closely guarded secrets. The last official media report of Kim Jung Un’s appearance was a meeting which he attended on April 11.

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Earlier, in a much similar fashion, the leader had disappeared from the state media for around six weeks in 2014. There were speculations that his regime has been overthrown or he had an ankle injury, reports suggested then. However, Kim Jon Un soon made an appearance again, putting all rumours to rest.

A New York Times report stated that Kim’s sudden death could create a power vacuum having drastic implications. The joint efforts of South Korea and the US to de-nuclearise the North could be in vain. In the event of Kim’s death, the nuclear weapons could fall into the wrong hands, or China could send its own troops to North Korea, the report suggested.