Starbucks A new one has been opened A coffee shop i South Koreawhere customers can sip their lattes and see a quiet North Korean mountain village in the distance.
On Friday (Nov. 28), the American chain opened its newest location at an observatory in the Aegibong Peace Ecopark near the city of Gimpo — about 31 miles northwest of Seoul, South Korea, and a mile from North Korean territory. It is also at a short distance.
However, users must pass through a military checkpoint before entering the observatory, which is overlooked. North KoreaAccording to K Songxan Mountain Associated Press.
Officials in the South Korean city of Gimpo explained that the opening of the Starbucks was part of efforts to develop its border facility as a tourist destination, saying that the coffee shop would “invigorate the island through the presence of this well-known capitalistic brand.” The name is a symbol of strong security in Korea.”
The observatory is one of the main attractions of Ajibong Park, which was built on a hill that was the site of a fierce battle during the Korean War. gave Website describes the park as a “symbolic place representing peace and harmony”.
Visitors to Starbucks can not only catch a glimpse of North Korea, but also the Jogang River, which flows between the observatory and the northern border town of Keping.
“I wish I could share this delicious coffee with North Koreans,” said Baek Hye, a 48-year-old resident of Gimpo. Reuters At the opening of Starbucks.
By 2024, there are about 2,000 Starbucks coffee shops across South Korea, according to SCK Co., which operates Starbucks in the country through a licensing deal.
Gimpo and other South Korean border towns like Paju are trying to develop their border sites as tourism assets, even as tensions rise between the war-torn Koreas.
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has been trying to increase pressure on South Korea, threatening to launch a nuclear attack on his rival if provoked. North Korea has also engaged in psychological and electronic warfare against South Korea, such as flying trash-laden balloons into the South and jamming GPS signals from border areas near the South’s largest airport.
Kaephung County is believed to be one of the possible sites from which North Korea has released thousands of balloons over several months.
South Korea’s military said on Friday that the North launched dozens more balloons overnight and some of the trash and leaflets landed around the capital Seoul and nearby Gyeonggi Province.
Additional reporting from AP