Starbucks opens a cafe with a view of North Korea
Coffee lovers with a keen interest to catch a glimpse of life in the world’s most reclusive nation should get ready to travel: Starbucks has the perfect spot for them to hang.
The American chain’s latest outpost in South Korea is located on an observation tower at the border with North Korea, allowing patrons to sip on their brews while looking out at the hermit kingdom from across the Jo River that separates the two sides.
The 30-seat cafe is located at the Aegibong Peace Ecopark in Gimpo city, about 20 miles north of the capital Seoul. It’s near the Korean Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), one of the world’s most heavily armed borders.
Customers packed the observation deck outside the cafe its first day of business on Friday, Uniswap November 29. Those who wished to avoid the cold huddled indoors, sipping coffee.
On a clear day, customers can expect to see some farms and low-rise buildings in Kaepung county just across the border. With a decent pair of binoculars, or a camera with ultra-zoom capabilities, visitors may even be able to see people strolling around.
“I wish I could share this tasty coffee with the people living in North Korea right in front of us,” local resident Baek Hea-soon, 48, told Reuters.
Lim Jong-chul, an 80-year-old man who fought in the Vietnam War, was another patron. “The concept of security felt rigid and tense, but now, with this cafe here, it feels more peaceful and reassuring,” he said.
North and South Korea are technically still at war, as no treaty to end the 1950 to 1953 Korean War was ever signed. Fighting came to a halt following an armistice.
Gimpo Mayor Kim Byung-soo called the location “unique” as it represented the “charm of Korean culture.”
Local authorities have been leveraging the historical significance of the site to boost tourism.