Starbucks provides coffee and a window into the North to South Koreans

Starbucks has opened its newest store in Gimpo, South Korea, near the Demilitarised Zone (DMZ), allowing customers to see the heavily militarized border into North Korea. The store, which is located in a lesser-known area, is situated near a river designated as “neutral waters” and offers a glimpse of North Korean villagers through its telescopes. Despite recent tensions between the two Koreas, the DMZ has become an unlikely tourist destination. It is said the store could change the border area’s “dark and depressing” image, and could become an important tourist destination for security and peace. Starbucks is ubiquitous across South Korea, with 1,980 stores as of the third quarter of 2024.