When we talk about where the North Korean leader lives, most folks immediately picture the Kumsusan Palace of the Sun. It makes sense. It's that massive, intimidating granite fortress on the edge of Pyongyang where Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il are preserved in glass coffins. It’s huge—literally the largest mausoleum in the world. But here's the thing: nobody actually lives there. It’s a tomb. If you want to find the real Kim Jong Un palace, you have to look about 12 kilometers northeast of the city center to a place called the Ryongsong Residence.
Basically, it's a city within a city.
Ryongsong, also known as Residence No. 55, isn't just a house. It’s a 12-square-kilometer high-security compound. To put that in perspective, that’s about 4.6 square miles. It is bigger than most small towns. It’s tucked away behind electric fences, minefields, and enough security checkpoints to make a secret agent sweat. Honestly, it’s one of the most guarded places on the planet, and yet, thanks to satellite imagery and a few brave defectors, we know a surprising amount about what goes on behind those walls.
The Secret Underground Life of Residence No. 55
One of the wildest things about the Kim Jong Un palace at Ryongsong is how much of it is actually underground. This isn't just for privacy; it’s for survival. The complex features a massive underground wartime headquarters. We’re talking walls reinforced with iron rods and concrete covered in lead to withstand a nuclear hit. It’s a literal "doomsday bunker" disguised as a luxury estate.
But wait, it gets weirder.
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The palace is connected to other residences, like Residence No. 26, via a network of tunnels. There is even a private underground train station inside the compound. This allows the Kim family to move between their various retreats—like the summer palace in Wonsan or the mountain retreat in Kangdong—without ever being spotted by a satellite or a prying eye.
The sheer scale of the infrastructure is hard to wrap your head around. While the average North Korean citizen is dealing with frequent power outages and food shortages, the Ryongsong Residence operates on its own dedicated power grid and water supply. It is a self-contained ecosystem of absolute luxury.
What’s Actually Inside?
So, if you were to walk through the front door (and somehow not get shot), what would you see? According to former bodyguards like Lee Young-guk and reports from the few outsiders who’ve been close—like Dennis Rodman—it’s basically a Five-Star resort on steroids.
The facilities are genuinely insane:
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- A 50-meter-long swimming pool with a giant waterslide.
- Professional-grade running tracks and athletic fields.
- Full horse stables and a private racing track.
- Shooting ranges and luxury spas.
- Man-made lakes with banquet halls built right on the water.
Inside, the decor is reportedly all about "more is more." Think deep plush carpets, ornate chandeliers that cost more than a neighborhood, and furniture imported from the best designers in Europe. It’s a jarring contrast to the austere, gray architecture of the rest of Pyongyang.
The Wonsan "Summer" Palace
While Ryongsong is the primary home, Kim Jong Un doesn't stay in one place. He has at least 17 different palaces and retreats scattered across the country. The Wonsan compound is perhaps the most famous because it’s where he hosts "guests" like Rodman. Satellite images of the Wonsan Kim Jong Un palace show a massive 80-meter yacht—valued at about $7 million—docked right outside.
It’s also where the regime has been spotted tearing down and rebuilding structures at a frantic pace. In May 2024, watchers noticed several buildings being demolished at his winter palace complex. Why? Nobody knows for sure. Some experts think it’s just because the leader wanted a new floor plan or a better view. When you have unlimited state funds, "remodeling" takes on a whole new meaning.
The Cost of Living Large
Let’s talk numbers. Maintaining a Kim Jong Un palace isn't cheap. The Kumsusan renovation alone cost an estimated $100 million in the mid-90s, a time when the country was in the middle of a devastating famine. Today, the Ryongsong Residence and the various other "Leadership Residences" are funded by a shadowy slush fund known as Office 39.
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Experts like Michael Madden, who has spent years tracking the North Korean leadership, note that these palaces aren't just for sleeping. They are functional centers of government. Decisions that affect the entire peninsula are made in these banquet halls and underground bunkers.
It's a bizarre duality. On one hand, you have the "Eternal Leaders" (the grandfather and father) lying in state at Kumsusan, treated like deities. On the other, you have the current leader living a life of ultra-modern luxury at Ryongsong, complete with high-end cognac and Swiss cheese.
Actionable Insights: How to Track the Untrackable
If you're fascinated by the architecture of secrecy, you don't have to rely on rumors. Here is how you can actually see the Kim Jong Un palace for yourself:
- Use Google Earth: Search for the coordinates $39°06'59''N, 125°48'21''E$. This will take you right to the heart of the Ryongsong Residence. Look for the massive swimming pool and the private railway lines.
- Follow 38 North: This website is the gold standard for North Korean analysis. They use high-resolution satellite imagery to track everything from missile sites to new construction at the leader's villas.
- Check the NK Pro Leadership Tracker: If you want to know which palace Kim is currently using, this tool tracks his public appearances and cross-references them with known residences.
The Ryongsong Residence remains a symbol of the massive divide between the ruling elite and the general population. It's a place of marble, lead-lined bunkers, and hidden trains—a fortress that tells the story of North Korea better than any official propaganda ever could.
To truly understand the regime, you have to look past the monuments and into the compounds. The Kim Jong Un palace isn't just a home; it's a statement of power and a fortress of paranoia that defines the current era of the DPRK.
Look for the "hollowed out" mountains near Kangdong or the luxury docks in Wonsan on your next map search. Once you see the scale of these compounds, the "Hermit Kingdom" starts to look a lot more like a private playground for one.