Kim Jong-un's yacht, island and 7-star party lifestyle unveiled

NORTH KOREAN leader Kim Jong-un parties on his own private island and owns a "seven-star" Disney yacht, Dennis Rodman has revealed.

The basketball star has become an unlikely friend to the North Korean dictator, making his second visit to the country last month.

While ordinary North Koreans face chronic and widespread malnutrition, with millions dependent on external food aid, Rodman insists that "life in North Korea is not that bad".

The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up

In an interview with The Sun, he describes Kim's 200ft yacht as a "cross between a ferry and a Disney boat" and says guests get "everything you want, he has the best".

The former Chicago Bulls star spent seven days on Kim's private island partying and drinking during his visit. "Kim's island is amazing," he said. "It's like going to Hawaii or Ibiza – but he's the only one that lives there. I got to have dinner with Kim, go for lunch with him, ride horses... Everything there is seven-star – it's so immaculate it's insane. You can't find a speck of dirt on the ground or a scratch on the wall. His people love to work, especially to make him happy."

Even Kim's closest family stand up and clap when he leaves a room, says Rodman, who insists that P Diddy would be "way humbled" by Kim's wealth and power.

Earlier this month a report found that the regime spent $645.8m last year on luxury goods, from exotic pets and perfume to saunas and luxury watches. Imports of high-end alcohol alone cost $30m, according to data submitted to the South Korean parliament.

Rodman initially visited North Korea earlier this year to make a documentary about basketball, of which Kim is a huge fan, reports the Daily Telegraph. He hopes to bring the US and North Korea together by organising the first basketball game between the two countries in January and also plans to train the North Korean basketball team for the next Olympics.