A North Korean water park in the city of Pyongsong has been demolished and replaced by a 3D movie theater, according to satellite images of the country. File photo by KCNA/Yonhap

SEOUL, June 12 (UPI) -- Satellite images of North Korea are showing evidence North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is tearing down constructions in progress, and then rebuilding the structure.

Curtis Melvin of the U.S.-Korea Institute at Johns Hopkins University told Radio Free Asia the demolition of existing construction is an outcome of dictatorial rule in the country.


Melvin used Google satellite images to show how buildings in North Korea have changed or been destroyed in 2014.

South Korean news network YTN reported in one satellite image of the North Korean city of Pyongsong, in South Pyongan province from 2014, images of an ice-skating rink and a water park that were once visible in 2013 were gone. In those locations, a 3D cinema complex had been built.

Ssuk Island, in the North Korean capital of Pyongyang, a science and technology center that once stood was replaced by a construction in progress, according to the most recent images from January.

Pyongyang's Sunan Airport has also been rebuilt when Kim Jong Un was less than satisfied with the first construction of the airport's second terminal. A national theater in the North Korean capital has also been redesigned to suit the tastes of the North Korean leader.

Curtis Melvin of the U.S.-Korea Institute at Johns Hopkins University told YTN North Korea is wasting resources rebuilding or tearing down construction – mostly at the whim of Kim Jong Un.

South Korean news agency Yonhap reported 3D cineplexes have been built in a total of nine North Korean cities including Pyongyang, Sariwon and Chongjin. Numerous ice skating rinks and parks have also been built.

Melvin said the construction showed signs the North Korean economy is less planned and driven more by a dictatorial regime.