Photos of Starbucks Gimpo Aegibong branch go viral

Store sits just 1.4 km from North Korea's Hwanghae Province

Images may be AI-generated or digitally altered, observers say

North Korean soldiers gather around self-propelled gun emplacements along the border area of Gaepung County, Hwanghae Province, as seen from the Aegibong Observatory in Gimpo, Gyeonggi Province, on Monday, amid heightened inter-Korean tensions following North Korea's announcement of plans to bolster firepower along the MDL. [Yonhap]
North Korean soldiers gather around self-propelled gun emplacements along the border area of Gaepung County, Hwanghae Province, as seen from the Aegibong Observatory in Gimpo, Gyeonggi Province, on Monday, amid heightened inter-Korean tensions following North Korea's announcement of plans to bolster firepower along the MDL. [Yonhap]

Claims that North Korean self-propelled artillery deployed on the western front can be spotted from a Starbucks branch in Gimpo, Gyeonggi Province, have been circulating online and drawing widespread attention.

On Monday, a wave of posts titled "Latest from the Starbucks Gimpo Aegibong branch" appeared across multiple online communities.

The authors claimed that North Korea had moved 122mm self-propelled guns to forward positions, turning the view from the Starbucks Gimpo Aegibong Ecological Park branch into what they called a "North Korean self-propelled gun view." The photos they shared purportedly showed an oversized self-propelled gun alongside several North Korean soldiers holding red flags.

The store is located on the second floor of the observation deck at Gimpo Aegibong Peace Ecological Park, just over 1.4 kilometers from North Korea's Gaepung County in Hwanghae Province. Since opening in November 2024, it has drawn a steady stream of tourists for its unusual vantage point overlooking North Korean villages and hillsides through its windows.

The Aegibong Observatory sits on elevated ground where North Korean military activity can be observed with the naked eye. According to Yonhap, North Korean soldiers have frequently been spotted there carrying out construction work on tactical roads and wire fences. On Sunday, what appeared to be 122mm self-propelled guns were observed deployed along the coastal border area of Gaepung County in Hwanghae Province.

The armor of the self-propelled guns bore a North Korean propaganda slogan reading: "Annihilate the American imperialist aggressors, the sworn enemy of the Korean people!" Nearby, several soldiers were seen repeatedly raising and lowering red flags in what appeared to be a training exercise.

However, the photos that spread through online communities and went viral may have been generated by AI or digitally manipulated to maximize visual impact.

Critics noted that the self-propelled guns visible through the store's windows appear far too large and close to reflect what the human eye would actually see from that distance.

In fact, visitors inside the store need a telephoto camera or high-powered binoculars to make out the North Korean side.

The North Korean 122mm self-propelled gun is a key artillery asset deployed in large numbers along the front line, with a reported range of 15 to 24 kilometers.


jshan@heraldcorp.com