SEOUL, South Korea — Coffee aficionados now have the unique opportunity to enjoy their drinks while gazing at a serene North Korean mountain village, thanks to the newly opened Starbucks at the Aegibong Peace Ecopark, located near the border.
To access the observatory where the Starbucks is situated, visitors must go through a military checkpoint. The site, which is less than a mile from North Korea, provides stunning views of Songaksan mountain and a nearby village in Kaephung county.
At the opening event on Friday, around 40 patrons, including some international guests, gathered at the Starbucks, which features tables and windows oriented toward North Korea.
The South Korean city of Gimpo emphasized that bringing Starbucks to the area is part of a larger initiative to enhance its border facilities as an attractive tourist destination. Moreover, the presence of this renowned capitalist brand is seen as a symbol of “robust security on the Korean Peninsula.”
The observatory serves as a prominent feature of the Aegibong park, which is constructed on land that was the scene of intense battles during the 1950-53 Korean War. In addition to the café, the park is home to gardens, exhibition areas, conference rooms, and a memorial dedicated to the marines who lost their lives in the conflict.
Gimpo, along with other South Korean cities bordering North Korea, like Paju, is actively working to transform their border sites into tourist attractions, despite ongoing tensions between the two countries.
Recently, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has escalated threats against South Korea, suggesting that he may launch nuclear strikes if provoked. Additionally, North Korea has employed psychological tactics and electronic warfare strategies against the South, including sending balloons filled with trash across the border and interfering with GPS signals in areas near South Korea’s major airport.
Kaephung county is suspected to be one of the locations used by North Korea to release the many balloons over the past few months.
South Korea’s military reported on Friday that North Korea had launched several balloons overnight, and some of the discarded material, including leaflets, landed in the vicinity of Seoul and the neighboring Gyeonggi province.