Border Brews: Starbucks Opens at South Korea's Edge

The new Starbucks at Aegibong Peace Ecopark offers visitors a unique experience: sipping coffee while overlooking a North Korean village. Located just a mile from the border, the café aims to turn the area into a tourist destination. Meanwhile, tensions rise as North Korea launches balloon attacks targeting South Korea.

The newly opened Starbucks at Aegibong Peace Ecopark in South Korea provides a unique vantage point for customers wishing to view a North Korean village while enjoying their coffee. The café, part of an initiative by the city of Gimpo, is positioned less than a mile from the North Korean border.

Visitors must pass through a military checkpoint to enter the observatory where the Starbucks is located, as it overlooks Songaksan mountain and adjacent North Korean areas. The opening drew about 40 attendees, including some tourists.

Gimpo and other border cities in South Korea are striving to convert their sites into tourist attractions amid rising tensions with North Korea. The North has threatened South Korea with potential nuclear attacks while engaging in psychological warfare through balloon launches.

(With inputs from agencies.)