A major new construction project on the grounds of one of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un’s suspected Pyongyang mansions appeared to continue this week despite the country’s recent COVID-19 outbreak and related lockdown, NK Pro analysis of satellite imagery reveals.

The project began in mid-March with the demolition of a large building between Kim’s office at the Workers’ Party of Korea (WPK) headquarters building and what is often unofficially referred to as Kim’s Residence No. 15, according to Planet Labs satellite imagery. 

Work began at the same time on three other new buildings to the south within the same complex, while workers reroofed another cluster of party buildings on the other side of the WPK office building.

These high-resolution images taken on Feb. 23 and May 3 this year show before and after the start of major construction surrounding Kim’s office and mansion in central Pyongyang. Construction in all three spots appeared ongoing in May. | Images: Planet Labs PBH, edited by NK Pro

A comparison of medium-resolution shots taken on May 17 and 21 shows evidence of continued activity at the construction sites despite the city’s strict COVID-19 lockdown | Images: Planet Labs PBH, edited by NK Pro

Satellite imagery of the elite compound taken after state media announced a nationwide lockdown on May 12 to combat the spread of COVID-19 shows evidence of work continuing in all three spots between May 17 and 21, indicating the project remains a top priority for the DPRK leader amid the lockdown. 

Kim publicly announced that major construction projects should not halt due to the lockdown, and state media has said this is in order to “provide the people with more civilized living conditions.”  

The purpose of the largest of the new buildings is unknown, but it is likely intended for use by Kim Jong Un or his family given its location and that it appears to contain multiple rooms of varying sizes and orientation, instead of the uniform rooms often seen in administrative buildings. It is square in shape but large, with its foundation measuring around 16,000 square feet (1,500 square meters).

This image shows the intricate roofing structure of what appears to be a new mansion next to Kim Jong Un’s existing one. | Image: Google Earth, Maxar (May 9, 2022)

It is just the latest elite construction project in the highly secure WPK headquarters compound in central Pyongyang: Kim appeared to order or approve a project to build nine new mansions in the area since last September, remodel part of his main office building in early 2021 and rebuild another large building next to the office in 2020. Massive new buildings were also built in the complex for the WPK Organization and Guidance Department (OGD) in 2019.

The North Korean leader has also upgraded other mega-mansions around the country in recent years amid the pandemic and what state media consistently calls national economic “hardships,” including at Lake Yonphung, Wonsan and near Hamhung.

Kim’s so-called Residence No. 15 in central Pyongyang was completely rebuilt between 2009 and 2010, just before he succeeded his father Kim Jong Il as leader in late 2011. Part of the mansion was torn down and rebuilt in 2015.

Edited by Arius Derr. Updated on June 10, 2022 at 4:15 p.m. KST to include higher-resolution images provided by Maxar and taken on May 9 this year.