Starbucks offers glimpse into North Korean life with latest cafe launch

For those interested in the everyday life of civilians in North Korea, Starbucks is providing coffee drinkers in South Korea a glimpse into the world’s most secretive nation while they enjoy their favorite beverage.

Starbucks Coffee Korea Co has launched a new riverside cafe at an observatory tower in Gimpo city, South Korea, offering coffee lovers a chance to “observe” the ordinary village life in Gaepung county across the border, according to an invitation from the city government. The observatory, previously known as Hill 154, has historical importance as a battleground between the two countries during the Korean War from 1950 to 1953.

Gaepung county primarily consists of residences and a few farms, though as a border area, it may also host military installations. The North Korean riverbank is located over a mile (1.6 kilometers) from the Starbucks, meaning visitors may require binoculars or long-range lenses to observe activities in the neighboring country.

North Korea’s military capabilities are occasionally showcased through missile tests and other orchestrated events, but the lives of ordinary North Koreans remain largely mysterious, intriguing many to this isolated kingdom. Although Pyongyang is reopening its borders to general tourism in December for the first time since the pandemic began, such tours are highly regulated, with numerous foreign nationals prohibited from participation.

The new 30-seat cafe opened on Friday at the Aegibong Peace Ecopark’s observatory tower, offering coffee enthusiasts a sweeping view of the Jogang river that divides the two nations, according to the invitation. This initiative is part of the city’s efforts to establish Aegibong as a prominent tourist destination, capitalizing on its historical and strategic significance during the Korean War. In the first ten months of this year, the park has attracted approximately 135,514 visitors, representing a 24% increase compared to last year.

Starbucks Korea, which is mainly owned by E-Mart, a subsidiary of Korea’s retail powerhouse Shinsegae Group, chose this location for its historical importance and scenic views, as stated by a spokesperson for the Gimpo city government in an email to Bloomberg News. Notably, Starbucks is the sole food and beverage operator in the area.

Nevertheless, even this tranquil ecological park is not free from the tensions between the two nations.

Nearly ten years ago, South Korea dismantled a Christmas tower at Aegibong, which North Korea labeled as a tactic of psychological warfare. However, last year, South Korea reinstated a prominent lighting display resembling a Christmas tree at Aegibong.

The opening of the cafe occurs amid escalating tensions between the two nations. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has been keen on severing ties with the south, dismissing any prospects for peaceful unification. In recent weeks, Kim’s government has destroyed sections of roads and rail links connecting the countries and released thousands of balloons filled with waste and cigarette remnants. Pyongyang has further aggravated South Korea and its allies by sending troops to Russia to aid Moscow in its conflict in Ukraine.

© 2024 Bloomberg

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