By Sebin Choi and Hyunsu Yim
GIMPO, South Korea (Reuters) – The world’s final Chilly Struggle frontier now has a Starbucks cafe in South Korea the place prospects can get a glimpse via the closely militarised border into the North, all whereas sipping a latte.
Tons of confirmed up on Friday for the opening of the U.S. coffeehouse chain’s latest retailer in an observatory close to town of Gimpo, round 50 km (31 miles) northwest of Seoul and near the Demilitarized Zone separating the 2 Koreas.
The DMZ has turn out to be an unlikely draw for international and native vacationers, regardless of a spike in tensions on the Korean peninsula in recent times.
Guests should go via a army checkpoint on the best way to the Starbucks outlet, though it’s in a lesser recognized and fewer militarised space than extra standard vacationer spots alongside the border such because the Panmunjom truce village.
A river designated as “impartial waters” runs between the observatory and the border city of Kaepung within the North simply 1.4 km away. On a transparent day, North Korean villagers could be seen from the observatory via its telescopes.
The 2 Koreas are nonetheless technically at warfare after a three-year battle led to a 1953 armistice. A peace treaty has by no means been signed.
In latest months, tensions have additionally grown over balloons of trash floated from North Korea, which Pyongyang says are a response to balloons carrying anti-regime leaflets despatched by activists within the South.
North Korea blew up inter-Korean roads and rail traces on its aspect of the border final month, whereas Seoul warned Pyongyang that any use of its nuclear weapons would spell the tip of the North Korean regime.
Baek Hea-soon, a 48-year-old Gimpo resident, arrived early on Friday to check out the brand new Starbucks outlet.
“I want I may share this tasty espresso with the folks in North Korea,” she stated.
North Korea has over latest many years suffered severe meals shortages, together with a famine within the Nineties, usually exacerbated by pure disasters akin to floods that injury harvests.
Starbucks, with its international recognition, may change the border space’s “darkish and miserable” picture, Gimpo Mayor Kim Byung-soo stated.
“This place may now turn out to be an vital vacationer vacation spot for safety (and) peace that may be seen as younger, vivid and heat, in addition to garnering international consideration,” Kim instructed reporters.
Starbucks is ubiquitous throughout South Korea, with 1,980 shops as of the third quarter of 2024, in accordance with SCK Firm, which operates Starbucks within the nation via a licensing deal.
In 2021, Starbucks Corp (NASDAQ:) bought its stake in Starbucks Korea to Starbucks Espresso Korea Co, now generally known as SCK Firm, and Singapore sovereign wealth fund GIC.
(This story has been refiled so as to add the lacking phrase ‘space’ in paragraph 4)
