Crash Landing on You

Crash Landing on You (Korean: 사랑의 불시착) is a 2019 South Korean romantic comedy television series written by Park Ji-eun, directed by Lee Jung-hyo, and starring Hyun Bin, Son Ye-jin, Kim Jung-hyun, and Seo Ji-hye. The series follows Yoon Se-ri, a South Korean chaebol heiress who is swept across the border by a tornado while paragliding and lands in North Korea. She meets Ri Jeong-hyeok, a captain in the Korean People's Army, who hides and protects her. Despite the political division between their countries, they develop a romantic relationship. A subplot involves Gu Seung-jun, a fraudster seeking refuge in the North, and Seo Dan, a musician and Jeong-hyeok's fiancée. Park Ji-eun conceived Crash Landing on You based on an incident in which a South Korean actress drifted into North Korean waters. The script draws thematic inspiration from the paradox of the Korean division, as well as literary works such as The Wonderful Wizard of Oz and The Little Prince. Produced by Studio Dragon and Culture Depot with a budget of approximately US$20 million, the series was filmed over six months. The production used live-shooting, and filming took place in Switzerland, Mongolia, and South Korea. Nam Hye-seung composed and produced the original soundtrack. Comprising 16 episodes, Crash Landing on You aired on tvN from December 14, 2019, to February 16, 2020, and was distributed globally by Netflix. The series received critical acclaim for its cinematography, performances, and the chemistry between the lead actors, as well as its portrayal of life in North Korea. It faced domestic criticism; the Christian Liberty Unification Party accused the show of violating the National Security Act by "glamorizing" North Korea, while others criticized its use of product placement. North Korean state media condemned the series as a "provocative" distortion. Commercially, it was a major success, achieving a nationwide rating of 21.7% for its finale and becoming the highest-rated drama in tvN's history at the time. Portraying North Korea's daily life against the backdrop of the peninsula's ideological division, Crash Landing on You was a major success of the Korean Wave, particularly in Japan; it drove sales for featured brands and increased tourism to its filming locations in Switzerland. The series also circulated in North Korea via the black market, where a line of dialogue from the show became a trend. The series was adapted into a musical and received numerous accolades, including the Grand Prize for Hyun Bin at the 7th APAN Star Awards and multiple nominations at the 56th Baeksang Arts Awards. For her contributions to cultural understanding through the series, the Ministry of Unification named Park Ji-eun the "Unification Education Person of the Year".

Plot from Crash Landing on YouCC BY-SA 4.0