Congratulations to our friend Curtis Melvin, whose Google Earth imagery of a Kim Jong Il palace in north Pyongyang is currently the Chosun Ilbo’s top story. This palace, I should point out, is one of no less than six very large palaces I know of in the Pyongyang area alone, though I can’t confirm who lives in all of them:
This is the one I posted pictures of previously. A Daily NK piece previously confirmed that it’s one of Kim Jong Il’s palaces. There’s also a small airstrip just a mile away:
Here are a few images of the one depicted in the Chosun Ilbo piece. It has its own private train station:
Off the top of my head, I can also think of two more in Wonsan (also confirmed by the Daily NK) and one up near Paektusan, plus a very large guest house at the Yongbyon nuclear facility. Curtis can probably name several more, and I wish they’d have given him the chance to give a more complete list. Of course, you can always download North Korea uncovered. I’m simply in awe of the amount of detail he’s been able to describe, and it’s great to see him getting recognized for the phenomenal work he’s doing.
