World’s Closest Starbucks to North Korea: A Travel Journalist’s View Through a Telescope
From the observation deck, well visible with the naked eye and binoculars, “Life in North Korea.”
After getting off the shuttle bus and crossing a suspension bridge, a 10-minute climb led to the observatory and Starbucks. From the observatory, the view of North Korea across the river was breathtaking, and even for someone like me, who had previously visited another observatory on a DMZ (Demilitarized Zone) tour, it was strikingly close to North Korea.
At the observatory, several binoculars and high-precision telescopes with monitors were available for free use. Looking through the binoculars, I could clearly see North Korean villages, fields, people walking or riding bicycles, and slogans like “Long live revolutionary thought!”—all visible from the view.
It offered a rare glimpse into the lives of people in North Korea, which remains shrouded in many mysteries.
However, it’s worth noting that the scenery visible from this observatory is of a propaganda village deliberately created by North Korea. Some say no one actually lives there, but through the telescope, I could see many people, including children. If you’re curious, this is definitely a place worth visiting.
What it feels like to savor a Starbucks latte or Frappuccino while looking down on North Korea.
The Starbucks at the Aiko Peak Observatory has a store and eat-in area on the first floor, and is basically open from 10:00 am to 3:00 pm every day. It is not very spacious and was already full at 11:00 am.
You can enjoy the same drinks and snacks as in the regular store, and some of the seats even have a power supply. Tumblers, mugs, and other goods were available for purchase, but there were no special items available only at this store.
North Korea was clearly visible through the glass windows of the store. It was also interesting to note that the restaurant was set up and the seating was arranged in such a way that the view straight ahead toward North Korea was clearly visible through the large glass window. In the warmer months, more customers would take out and savor a latte or frappuccino while overlooking North Korea from this elevated vantage point.
On the day we visited, the restaurant was also busy from start to finish with mostly Korean customers. The observatory was even more crowded after noon, when the shuttle buses were full.
