Civilians will need legal military protection.
Starbucks Korea A new store will reportedly open just 1.4 kilometers from North Korea.
According to reports, the outlet will open this month on the second floor of the observatory at Aegibong Peace Ecopark in Gimpo.
The location of the outlet is significant, as the peak of Aegibong offers a direct view of Kaepung County and Songaksan in North Korea. The ecopark was inaugurated in 2021 and has since attracted a huge influx of tourists every year.
The park features an observatory, a bell, a swing bridge and an outdoor stage. The Peace Bell is one of the most symbolic elements of the park as it is built with empty cartridges from war places and rusty wires from DMZ (Demilitarized Zone) fences. The new Starbucks store is expected to add further appeal to this park and attract large numbers of customers, despite its smaller interior.
According to Gimpo City officials, the city wanted a Starbucks store in the park in hopes of transforming it “a global tourist attraction”. In 2023, the park recorded an influx of almost 140,000 tourists, and with this new café, that is expected to increase further.
But the Aegibong region lies beyond the Line of Civil Control, a line designed to limit public access to areas close to the military demarcation line. To access such areas, civilians require legal protection from the military and, therefore, all visitors will have to undergo an inspection by the Korean Marine Corps. Gimpo is in consultation with the body, after which the city is expected to increase the frequency of shuttle buses to facilitate more tourists.
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