The DMZ, also known as the Demilitarized Zone, is a 250km long x 4km wide stretch of land dividing the Korean Peninsula into half. The Former U.S President Bill Clinton once called the DMZ the scariest place on Earth. The Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) acts as a border barrier and a meeting point for negotiations between North and South Korea.
There has been a lot of contestation going on of whether the DMZ is a safe place for visiting and we’re all curious of what’s really happening in this buffer zone, and the region surrounding it. And today, we’re covering this café in Paju, which is located right beside the DMZ.
Café Right Beside the DMZ?
Well, to be more specific, the café is right beside the Civilian Control Line (CCL). The CCL (No, we’re not referring to Singapore’s Circle line) is an additional buffer zone to the DMZ that controls the movement of civilians in and out of the DMZ.
Due to the civilian control line, the actual DMZ fence is off-limits and highly inaccessible to the public. Hence, most of the photos of the “DMZ fence” which we have seen online are in fact, photos of the fence belonging to the civilian control line.
Beyond that fence is the quiet, yet somewhat unsettling DMZ area. If you were to proceed further up, it would be North Korea.
Café FourB DMZ
Cafes in South Korea are aplenty, so to thrive in this saturated industry, one would have to try harder to attract people.
FourB is a humble café that started in Gwanghwamun, Seoul. Right now, they have 4 different outlets, two in Gwanghwamun, one in Hapjeong and another one in Paju. All the outlets are equally aesthetically pleasing, but this particular DMZ outlet has been gaining a lot of attention amongst the Korean netizens recently.
If you’re wondering why they are called FourB – the four different Bs are represented in their philosophy:
“Do your Best, back to Basics, look on the Bright side, then you’ll be Brilliant.”
The café is located within Imjingak Park, a popular attraction for anyone wanting to visit the DMZ region. And most who had visited the café thought that it was somewhat bittersweet – to see such a nice chirpy café located in a place with a sad history.
Well Known For Their Coffee and Bagels
Apart from their unique location, a good café encompasses so much more than just aesthetics.
FourB café is well-known for its coffee and bagels. FourB boasts a perfect isothermal-isohumidity control facility and the best bar conditions for their coffee beans. They brew their coffee with pride. From the storing of beans to the brewing process, they enforce a tight quality control check on the quality of their beans at each brewing stage, so as to ensure that the freshest coffee is served to the customers.
Their bagels and bagel spreads are also made fresh daily using sourdough and organic sugar coupled with the freshest seasonal ingredients.
True to their philosophy, FourB DMZ has a simple and basic menu. The drinks are on the cheaper side as well, ranging from 3,800 won to 4,500 won.
Sadly, their bagels are not for sale in this café. But the good news is, if you head over to the Imjingak building right beside the café, there’s a place called Sam’s bagels that sells FourB bagels. There is an observation deck on the roof of the Imjingak building where you’re able to take a bird’s eye view of North Korea as well.
Instagram Heaven
You should have realized by now that this café is highly Instagram worthy. Despite the café being relatively small (we would describe it as really cosy instead), here are some shots you must take before heading back to Seoul!
Mandatory Coffee Shot with the Barbed Wire Fence
Kind of weird knowing that beyond that fence is an area that could potentially be dangerous.
Backshot of Yourself Staring into the DMZ
Just beyond the mountains is actually North Korea.
A Shot of the Compounds
How to Get There
You can take the Gyeonggui-Jungang line from Hongik University Station all the way to Munsan Station. After which, you will need to transfer to Bus 58 and stop at Imjingak Resort. If not, you can choose to take a cab from Munsan station to Imjingak and it should cost you roughly 8,000 to 10,000won.
Most of the DMZ tours online will usually have a stop at Imjingak Park as well. If you have enough time, you can make a pit stop at this café for a caffeine boost.
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Well, South Korea has always been a foodie’s heaven, but it is definitely taking its café game to newer heights. We aren’t complaining, because this means new places to keep our bellies happy. Definitely adding this café to our list of must-visit places in South Korea!
But if you need a quieter place in South Korea to indulge and to calm your nerves and soul, we would recommend Busan. Read more here.