New South Korean Starbucks offers rare view of North Korea

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Description:

Starbucks Korea has opened a new branch at a watchtower near South Korea’s border with North Korea, offering customers a view of the hermit kingdom.

스타벅스 코리아는 북한과의 국경 근처에 위치한 망루에 새로운 지점을 오픈하여 고객들에게 은둔의 왕국을 조망할 수 있도록 했습니다.​

Transcription:

People at this Starbucks in South Korea get a unique view as they sip their drinks.

They can see across the border into North Korea.

The new store sits inside an observation tower in the South Korean border city of Gimpo.

The distance between the new Starbucks and the frontier dividing the North and South Korea is 1.4 kilometers.

BsekHea-soon: I heard Starbucks was opening at Aegibong, so I woke-up at 4 a.m. today. This feels really different from when a Starbucks opens in our usual neighborhood. I wanted to be here early and make the first order. As I sip this delicious coffee, I wish I could share this tasty coffee with the people living in North Korea right in front of us.

Lim Jong-chul: Having a cup of coffee here, I feel like I can look at North Korea, a nation divided from us, with a bit more calm and peace of mind. Before, the concept of security felt rigid and tense, but now, with this cafe here, it feels more peaceful and reassuring.

The 2 countries have been divided for 79 years.

Known as the Korean Demilitarised Zone, the border is the world`s last Cold War frontier.

The Korean War ended in 1953 with an armistice but not a peace treaty.

한국 스타벅스의 사람들은 음료를 마시며 독특한 풍경을 감상합니다.

한국 전쟁은 1953년 휴전 협정으로 끝났지만 평화 조약은 체결되지 않았습니다. 

Questions:

1. What unique feature does the new Starbucks branch in Korea offer to its customers?

2. How far is the Starbucks outlet from the border between North and South Korea?

3. What historical significance does the location of the Starbucks branch hold in relation to the Korean Demilitarised Zone?​​