North Korean leader Kim Jong Un demolished multiple structures inside his ‘winter palace’ estate, one of his most lavish houses, in a ‘strange’ move, according to new satellite imagery.
“The latest satellite images show that Kim Jong Un’s Ryokpo Palace residence is being removed or remodelled,” posted an account @NobodyGerman on X, which was the first to flag the demolition.
According to observers, this step could indicate a spike in military activities in Pyongyang.
Ryokpo Palace, located on the outskirts of Pyongyang, is Kim Jong Un’s winter palace complex. It refocuses attention on the leader’s lavish lifestyle in contrast to the impoverished living conditions of the vast majority of North Koreans.
According to analyst NobodyGerman, aerial pictures of the Ryokpo Palace complex show a dirt lot where the blue-roofed palace once stood.
According to observers, the latest demolitions in North Korea indicate prospective transformations, such as the transfer of property for military purposes.
According to NK Pro, the complex’s “main residential buildings and auxiliary structures” were most likely demolished between April 21 and April 25.
The demolition activity suggests that North Korea would place the enormous palatial complex under military control
The demolition activity suggests that North Korea would place the enormous palatial complex under military control, according to the report, which emphasizes that this could be part of the North Korean leader’s recent efforts to modernize his military.
The experts were cited in the report as stating that the move could be related to Kim’s designs of assigning an expanded role to the military in national development or consolidating military facilities.
The winter palace was demolished after Kim’s government amended the country’s constitution to designate South Korea as the “principal enemy,” and organizations tasked with promoting inter-Korean cooperation or pro-unification rhetoric were disbanded.
Kim Jong Un also removed a 100-foot monument created by Kim’s father, Kim Jong Il, and destroyed commemorative stamps in order to remove any references to the reunification range.
North Korea has been steadily advancing its capable ballistic missile and nuclear weapons programme in contravention of UN Security Council resolutions.