"If I Add an Extra Shot, Will a Shell Come Flying?" The Truth About the Starbucks With a View of North Korean Self-Propelled Guns

North Korean 122mm Self-Propelled Guns Actually Spotted
Online Photo Suspected of Being AI-Generated
Just 1.4 Kilometers from North Korean Territory

A photo appearing to show a North Korean self-propelled gun just outside the window of a Starbucks in Gimpo, Gyeonggi Province, has gone viral online. Although North Korean self-propelled guns have in fact been spotted deployed near the front line, some have suggested that the widely circulated photo was generated or altered using artificial intelligence (AI), or exaggerated compared with reality.

On October 26, posts titled “The latest from the Starbucks at Gimpo Aegibong” began appearing on social media. The posters shared a photo they claimed was taken at the Starbucks Gimpo Aegibong Ecological Park store, writing, “With North Korea moving its 122 mm self-propelled guns forward, the view has turned into a view of North Korean artillery.”

The photo, which appears to have been AI-generated, shows a huge self-propelled gun and several North Korean soldiers outside a store window. The soldiers are holding red flags, and the gun barrel and vehicle are clearly visible, making it look as though military drills are taking place right in front of the store. Social media.

The photo shows a massive self-propelled gun and several North Korean soldiers outside the store window. The soldiers are holding red flags, and the gun’s barrel and body are clearly visible, making it look as though military exercises are taking place right in front of the store. People who saw the photo reacted with surprise and jokes, including, “One self-propelled gun, as ordered,” “If I add an extra shot, will a shell come flying?” and “The most dangerous Starbucks view in the world.”

The store at the center of the buzz is the Starbucks Gimpo Aegibong Ecological Park store, located on the second floor of the observatory at Aegibong Peace Ecological Park in Gimpo, Gyeonggi Province. Opened on November 29, 2024, it is about 1.4 kilometers in a straight line from Gaepung County in North Korea’s South Hwanghae Province. Visitors can enjoy coffee while looking out at North Korean villages, mountain slopes and Mount Songak, and the store attracted interest from tourists at home and abroad from the time it opened.

Major international media outlets, including the Associated Press and CNN, have also featured the site. CNN reported that visitors can see buildings and farms in North Korea on clear days, and that residents can also be observed using high-powered binoculars or cameras with zoom capabilities. The store has also proven popular. According to Starbucks Korea, 123,000 customers visited the store in the approximately seven months from its opening through June 2025. It has thus become a unique tourist attraction where visitors can experience the reality of the division between North and South Korea up close, rather than simply a coffee shop.

Against this backdrop, the area has once again drawn attention after recent military movements by North Korean forces were detected. North Korea's 122-mm self-propelled guns are a key artillery asset deployed along the front lines, with a reported range of approximately 15 to 24 kilometers depending on the model and ammunition.

Yonhap News Agency

The area has once again drawn attention after recent military movements by North Korean troops were detected. The North Korean military’s 122 mm self-propelled guns are a key artillery asset deployed along the front lines, with a reported range of approximately 15 to 24 kilometers, depending on the model and ammunition. Artillery is generally concealed behind mountains or other terrain to avoid detection and attack by the enemy. For this reason, analysts say it is unusual for North Korean self-propelled guns to be visible enough to be photographed with telephoto cameras by South Korean media. This has fueled debate over whether the photo is authentic. Some have raised suspicions of manipulation, pointing out that the self-propelled gun in the online post appears excessively large and clear, as if it were right outside the store window. Some users cited the interior layout, the position of the logo and the size of the gun as reasons to suspect AI generation or image manipulation. They noted that the view in the photo differs considerably from what can be seen with the naked eye, given the distance between the Aegibong observatory and North Korean territory.

The Starbucks Gimpo Aegibong Ecological Park store, identified as the setting of the photo, opened in November 2024. It is located in the area around the Jogang River, where the Han and Imjin rivers meet, and offers views of villages and farmland in Gaepung County, North Korea’s South Hwanghae Province. However, binoculars, a telephoto camera or other observation equipment is needed to see detailed movements of North Korean military equipment or personnel.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.