For those curious about the daily existence of civilians in North Korea, Starbucks is offering coffee enthusiasts in South Korea an opportunity to peer into one of the world’s most secretive nations while savoring their favorite drink.

Starbucks Coffee Korea Co has inaugurated a new riverside cafe at an observatory tower in Gimpo City, South Korea, allowing coffee aficionados a chance to “observe” daily life in the ordinary village of Gaepung County just across the border, as per an invitation from the city government. The observatory, formerly known as Hill 154, holds historical significance as a site of conflict between the two countries during the Korean War from 1950 to 1953.

Visitors look out from the observation deck at a Starbucks Coffee Korea Co location, overlooking North Korea’s Gaepung County, at the Aegibong Peace Ecopark in Gimpo, South Korea, on Friday, 29 November 2024. The newly opened 30-seat cafe provides a rare view into the world’s most secluded nation while patrons enjoy their coffee.

Gaepung County mainly consists of residential areas and a few farms, but being a border region, it might also contain military installations. The North Korean riverbank lies over a mile (1.6 kilometers) from the Starbucks, indicating that visitors may need binoculars or long-range lenses to catch a glimpse of activities in the neighboring country.

While North Korea occasionally showcases its military capabilities through missile tests and other orchestrated events, the lives of everyday North Koreans remain largely enigmatic, drawing intrigue to this isolated territory. Although Pyongyang plans to reopen its borders for general tourism in December for the first time since the onset of the pandemic, these tours are highly controlled, restricting many foreign nationals from participation.

The new 30-seat cafe opened its doors on Friday at the Aegibong Peace Ecopark’s observatory tower, providing coffee lovers with a panoramic view of the Jogang River that separates the two nations, as stated in the invitation. This initiative is part of the city’s strategy to promote Aegibong as a key tourist destination, highlighting its historical and strategic relevance during the Korean War. In the first ten months of this year, the park has welcomed approximately 135,514 visitors, marking a 24% increase compared to the previous year.

Starbucks Korea, primarily owned by E-Mart, a subsidiary of Korea’s retail giant Shinsegae Group, selected this site for its historical significance and beautiful vistas, according to a spokesperson for the Gimpo city government in a communication with Bloomberg News. Notably, Starbucks is the exclusive food and beverage provider in the area.

However, even this peaceful ecological park is not immune to the ongoing tensions between the two nations.

Almost a decade ago, South Korea removed a Christmas tower at Aegibong, which North Korea labeled as a psychological warfare tactic. Nonetheless, last year, South Korea restored a prominent lighting display resembling a Christmas tree at Aegibong.

The cafe’s opening occurs in the context of rising tensions between the two nations. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has been deliberate in severing connections with the South, rejecting any hope for peaceful unification. In recent weeks, Kim’s regime has destroyed sections of roads and rail connections linking the two countries and released thousands of balloons filled with waste and cigarette remnants. Pyongyang has further escalated tensions with South Korea and its allies by sending troops to Russia to assist Moscow in its conflict in Ukraine.

© 2024 Bloomberg

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