Written by Choi Se-bin and Im Hyun-soo
Gimpo, South Korea – A Starbucks cafe has opened in South Korea, the world’s last Cold War frontier, giving customers a glimpse of North Korea across the heavily militarized border while sipping a latte.
Hundreds of people gathered on Friday for the opening of the American coffee house chain’s newest store at an observation deck near the city of Gimpo, about 50 kilometers northwest of Seoul and close to the demilitarized zone that separates the north and south.
Despite rising tensions on the Korean peninsula in recent years, the demilitarized zone has become an unlikely attraction for foreign and local tourists.
Visitors must pass through a military checkpoint on their way to the Starbucks store, but it is in a lesser-known and less militarized area than popular tourist spots along the border, such as Panmunjom Armistice Village. .
A river designated as “neutral water” flows between the observatory and the northern border town of Kepun, just 1.4 km away. On clear days, you can see North Korean villagers from the observatory through the telescope.
After three years of conflict ended with an armistice in 1953, the two Koreas are technically still at war. A peace treaty has not been concluded.
Tensions have also escalated in recent months over balloons of garbage washed ashore from North Korea, which North Korea claims is a response to balloons carrying anti-regime leaflets sent by South Korean activists.
Last month, North Korea bombed inter-Korean roads and railways along the border, while South Korea warned Pyongyang that any use of nuclear weapons would mean the end of the North Korean regime.
Baek Hee-sung, 48, a resident of Gimpo, arrived early Friday morning to try out the new Starbucks store.
“I wish I could share this delicious coffee with the people of North Korea,” she said.
North Korea has suffered severe food shortages in recent decades, including famine in the 1990s, often exacerbated by natural disasters such as floods that damage crops.
Kim Byung-soo, the mayor of Gimpo, said Starbucks, which has worldwide recognition, could change the “dark and gloomy” image of the border region.
“This place is seen as young, bright and warm, and has the potential to become an important tourist destination for security and peace that attracts the world’s attention,” Kim told reporters.
According to SCK Company, which operates Starbucks in the country through a licensing agreement, Starbucks is widely spread throughout South Korea, with 1,980 stores as of the third quarter of 2024.
In 2021, Starbucks Corporation sold its stake in Starbucks Korea to Starbucks Coffee Korea Corporation (now known as SCK Company) and Singapore’s sovereign wealth fund GIC.
This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to the text.
