Mayor Kim Byungsoo: "Sharing the Values of Peace, Coexistence, and the Future with the World through Aegibong"

Gimpo’s Aegibong Hailed by International Media as a “Landmark of Peace Beyond Division”
Interviews with Mayor Kim Byungsoo Draw Attention from South African, Hungarian, and Thai Press
Rising as a Global Cultural Hub Surpassing Division
Transformation from a Symbol of Military Tension to an Open Space for Global Coexistence

The Aegibong Peace Ecological Park in Gimpo has solidified its status as a global cultural hub, receiving widespread acclaim from international media outlets as an "international landmark where peace, ecology, and global culture converge beyond division." Foreign press have highlighted the park's transformation from a symbol of military tension and crisis into an open space where everyday life and the world coexist, projecting its growth as a symbol of future-oriented international exchange.

Interview with Mayor Byungsoo Kim reported by SABC NEWS in South Africa. Provided by Gimpo City.

This coverage demonstrates that the initial interest from foreign media, sparked by the successful public-private partnership with a global coffee brand, has evolved into recognition of Aegibong's symbolic significance and value.

While the sevenfold increase in foreign tourists visiting Aegibong within a year after the opening of the global coffee brand is noteworthy, what stands out even more is the shift in Aegibong's recognition and Gimpo's urban status, rather than just these short-term results.

On October 31, Mayor Kim Byungsoo conducted interviews at Aegibong Peace Ecological Park with leading foreign media representatives from seven countries, including South Africa, Hungary, the Czech Republic, T?rkiye, the Philippines, India, and Thailand. These interviews are currently being reported in each country and generating significant attention.

South Africa's SABC NEWS, through reporter Busisiwe Sihnawo Radebe, ran a story titled "Gimpo City Leads the Transformation of Korea's DMZ to Promote Peace," stating, "The city's commitment to developing a peace tourism model is revitalizing an area once defined by military patrols and checkpoints."

Meanwhile, Hungary's Balint Berer Portfolio published an article titled "A New Journey with Global Brands," noting, "While tension can still be felt in northern Paju, just a few dozen kilometers away, Aegibong Peace Ecological Park offers a completely different atmosphere. At the mouth of the Han River, a 100-meter-high peak rises above the water, already providing a grand panorama of North Korea across the river. The real curiosity is the symbol atop the hill-everything communism dislikes-namely, the recently opened Starbucks cafe."

Interview with Mayor Kim Byungsoo featured in Hungary's Balint Berer Portfolio. Provided by Gimpo City.

Thailand's Piyamas Wingpaladisai, reporting for Amarin TV, featured a video stating, "The only place in the world where you can enjoy a view of North Korea is at Starbucks," and added, "The Spotlight News team drank Starbucks coffee at the Aegibong Peace Ecological Park branch in Gimpo, Gyeonggi Province, just 1.4 kilometers from the North Korean border."

International media interest in Aegibong continues to grow daily. On November 12, a delegation from the Vietnam Journalists Association visited Aegibong Peace Ecological Park. Association President Le Quoc Minh remarked, "After posting photos of my visit to Aegibong on social media, many people in Vietnam commented that they were envious."

Currently, Aegibong Peace Ecological Park is driving change not only in Gimpo but also across the Korean Peninsula, establishing itself as a symbol of future-oriented international exchange. Aegibong is contributing to overcoming the "Korea Discount" by enhancing Gimpo's economic benefits and city brand value, and is poised to become a leading global tourism model where people from around the world can discuss the values of coexistence and the future.

Interview with Mayor Kim Byungsoo of Gimpo City reported on Amarin TV by Piyamas Wingpaladisai from Thailand. Provided by Gimpo City.

Mayor Kim Byungsoo stated, "Through Aegibong, I want to share the values of peace, coexistence, and the future with the world," adding, "Aegibong will become not only a site of peace in Korea, but also a space that delivers a message of harmony for the nation and humanity, and an open stage for the future."

Meanwhile, Aegibong Peace Ecological Park, which has overcome its geographical limitations as a border area to become a global tourist destination, was ranked second among the "Nationwide Hot Places for July 2025" by Korea Tourism Data Lab, firmly establishing itself as one of Korea's top tourist attractions. Since Mayor Kim Byungsoo took office, the park has pioneered night openings in cooperation with military units, hosted visits by commanders from the Pacific Marine Symposium, Nobel Prize-winning authors, and the Bulgarian Journalists Association, and has continued to attract global attention by holding a series of international events.