A Starbucks in Gimpo, South Korea, is gaining attention for its unique location with a view of North Korea. Located at the Aegibong Peace Ecological Park in Wolgot-myeon, the store opened on Nov. 29, 2024, and quickly became a popular destination, earning the nicknames “North Korea-view Starbucks” and “the cafe where you can Siren Order from North Korea.”
Situated on the second floor of an observation deck, the store is just 1.4 kilometers from North Korea’s Kaepung County in Hwanghae Province, across the lower Han River. It is the only Starbucks located in the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), an area with restricted civilian access. Visitors must go through a military checkpoint and show identification, with a daily visitor cap of 2,000.
The store offers views of North Korea, including apartment buildings once used for regime propaganda in Kaepung. On clear days, the peak of Songak Mountain in Kaesong is also visible.
When it opened, the store sparked interest both domestically and internationally. The Associated Press noted that the presence of a capitalist brand like Starbucks, visible from North Korea, symbolized South Korea’s strong national security.
Aegibong Hill, which lies near the park, has long been a symbol of the country’s division. In 1954, a soldier hung a lightbulb on an Aegibong pine tree as a peace gesture. By 1971, an 18-meter steel tower was erected for psychological warfare against the North. The Aegibong Peace Ecological Park, which opened in July 2021, has become a popular tourist site.
While plans to decorate the tower as a Christmas tree last year were canceled due to political tensions, the Starbucks store has contributed to a surge in visitors. In 2024, 190,000 people visited the park, a 45% increase compared to 2023. Since Starbucks opened, monthly visits have exceeded 36,000, and over 500,000 tourists visited the park in February alone. Gimpo officials now expect annual visitation to reach 400,000 starting this year.
Tourists are drawn to the “North Korea-view Starbucks,” but many have expressed reflections on the reality of the peninsula’s division. One reviewer on Naver commented, “It was a chance to experience the reality of the North-South divide while enjoying Starbucks, a symbol of capitalism.”
