Starbucks opens near North Korea border as militarized area becomes unlikely tourist destination

A new Starbucks cafe has opened in South Korea near the heavily-militarized border with North Korea, offering patrons an unprecedented view of the region.

Gimpo mayor Kim Byung-soo said the new riverbank cafe would revamp the location into an important tourist destination.

"People used to this of this area...as a dark and gloomy place. But now that Starbucks has opened...this place could now become an important tourist destination for security (and) peace," he said.

Local resident Baek Hea-soon said, "I wish I could share this tasty coffee with the people living in North Korea right in front of us."

The world's last Cold War frontier has become an unlikely draw for foreign and local tourists, despite a spike in tensions on the Korean peninsula in recent years.

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