Starbucks Jeju New Store Construction Raises Residents' Concerns Over 'Safety Threats and Privacy Invasion'

Published 14 Mar.2022 14:38(KST)

Numerous Complaints Arise Over Nearby Houses Being Fully Visible Inside and Traffic Congestion Concerns

A new Starbucks store in Nohyeong-dong, Jeju City, is undergoing construction at the drive-thru exit, which intersects with the drive-thru entrance of a nearby coffee shop.

[Jeju=Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters, Reporter Park Chang-won] Residents are upset about the construction of the drive-thru at the new Starbucks store in Jeju.

Residents complain that traffic congestion is inevitable and there are concerns about privacy invasion in the immediate vicinity.

According to Jeju City on the 14th, complaints were filed multiple times not only during the construction of stores in Yusuam-ri, Aewol-eup and Yongdam-dong but also in Nohyeong-dong.

The common issue is the ‘drive-thru’ where customers order and receive drinks by car.

At the Yongdam-dong store, the drive-thru was permitted to be built in a way that the interior of a neighboring detached house was fully visible, causing problems.

However, during construction, the site was elevated more than 1 meter higher than originally permitted, and Jeju City reportedly filed a complaint against the developer on the 18th of last month.

The new Starbucks store in Nohyeong-dong faces major concerns about traffic congestion.

The drive-thru exit was approved on a 4-meter road, making two-way crossing difficult, and the roads around Nohyeong Five-way Intersection are often congested even outside rush hours, raising concerns about traffic jams.

Moreover, there is an entrance to another coffee shop’s drive-thru right next to the building, which is expected to worsen traffic congestion as vehicles get entangled.

The store has a kids’ cafe on the second floor, and the entrance to the kids’ cafe is located where vehicle traffic is expected to be heavy, which residents say poses a safety threat to children.

A nearby merchant, Mr. A, said, “I understand that the Starbucks entrance was constructed with an acceleration and deceleration lane considering traffic congestion, but the exit path has utility poles, so I wonder if the lane was not built due to previous construction costs and was approved as is,” expressing resentment toward Jeju City.

In response, a Jeju City official explained, “There is a planned road in this area, and after consulting with the village chief, it was judged that the current state of the drive-thru exit poses no problem compared to directing it toward the road, so it was approved as is.”

Starbucks stated regarding these issues, “During store operation, we will carefully manage the placement of traffic safety personnel and strengthen safety facilities to ensure pedestrian safety and smooth traffic flow.”