Share this with

They are outside links and certainly will start in a brand new screen

They are outside links and certainly will start in a window that is new

Close share panel

An love that is implausible for which a (literally) high-flying South Korean heiress unintentionally paraglides into North Korea, lands on a soldier and falls deeply in love with him is just about the latest Korean drama smash hit.

Crash Landing you is within numerous methods a normal K-drama love, but happens to be commonly praised because of its well-researched and nuanced depiction of North Korea, something it attained by having a real-life North Korean defector on its writing group, as BBC Korean’s Subin Kim explains.

Together with broad arms and dense torso, Kwak Moon-wan has most of the look of a bodyguard.

Which is most likely because until 2004, he served utilizing the Supreme Guard Command, the elite protection force which protects North Korea’s ruling Kim household.

He had been therefore trusted which he ended up being assigned to your workplace overseas too, for the North Korean trade business in Moscow that was getting much needed forex.

just a choose few North Koreans are allowed to the office outside of the nation, and also to make sure their continued loyalty the leaders have actually measures set up – Kwak had to keep their spouse and son behind in North Korea.

In 2004, he had been purchased to go back to Pyongyang. Within a stopover in Beijing, he learned one of his true buddies in Moscow had reported for their bosses in Pyongyang what he had said in personal conversation.

He knew instantly that exactly exactly what he’d stated would cause trouble that is huge he got house.

During our discussion in a cafe in Seoul, Kwak kept glancing around to check on whom may be nearby. He speech is easy, if not dull, but Kwak wouldn’t duplicate in my experience just just just what he stated. He would just state he had talked by what he saw while escorting people in the Kim household in the past.

So he made a decision to defect. Alone. In which he has resided in Southern Korea without their household from the time.

«we have only one shadow if the sunlight pops up,» Kwak stated. «that is my entire life in Southern Korea.»

After showing up in Southern Korea, Kwak, like tens and thousands of North Korean defectors, started the entire process of building a life that is new. Also it took a twist that is remarkable of for Kwak to get their method in to the booming realm of Korean activity.

From defector to movie adviser

Before going into the armed forces, Kwak had invested time studying movie. straight Back in the 1980s, the North Korean movie industry had been booming, because of then leader Kim Jong Il’s well-known passion for the art.

At that time, Kwak ended up being planning to attempt further training, in which he finished up being accepted to examine movie directing in Pyongyang University of Dramatic and Cinematic Arts.

Soon after Kwak found its way to South Korea, a filmmaker that is famous had been taking care of a North Korea-themed film task approached Southern Korea’s spy agency asking for a few advice.

Kwak had simply completed their interrogations, area of the resettlement process brand new defectors get through, by which he’d discussed their film abilities.

The agency place him in contact with the filmmaker, who offered him task at their movie business. Kwak accepted it straight away.

He continued to your workplace being an adviser and a screenwriter on lots of films and dramas, as well as in 2018 a previous colleague introduced Kwak to Park Ji-eun, your head author of the drama.

She had show up with a sense of a intimate comedy featuring a North Korean officer and a South Korean heiress, but her shortage of intimate understanding of north life had been a pressing concern.

Kwak joining the group kick-started the Crash Landing on You project.

Undercover spies and children that are homeless

The show has grown to become the most effective dramas that is korean of time. It tells the storyline of heiress and businesswoman Yoon Se-ri and North army that is korean Ri Jeong-hyuk.

While out paragliding 1 day, Se-ri gets trapped by freak winds, and forced on the edge into North Korea. She actually is discovered by the dashing Jeong-hyuk, whom as opposed to turning her in agrees to help keep her safe and help her get back house. Inevitably, they fall in love.

Kwak’s intimate familiarity with just how North Korean officials run meant he had been in a position to add plot that is ingenious.

As an example, at one point, secret authorities run into Se-ri hiding in a town. Jeong-hyuk quickly pops up aided by the line that this woman is a spy with Division 11, the armed forces product which works undercover when you look at the South.

That will help explain her accent that is southern shortage of documents along with her appearance, and offered the character the freedom to explore the town and communicate with others, while refusing to resolve their questions regarding her life on safety grounds.

Through the entire show, you can find depictions of life that could be made legitimate through the insights of somebody like Kwak.

Trains are shown abruptly stopping as a result of energy cuts, homeless kids in the roads, and fridges used to store publications and clothing rather than meals.

Kwak additionally aided produce a subplot into the drama, of some other couple of star-crossed enthusiasts through the North and Southern, Gu Seung-joon and Search Engine Optimization.

After embezzling an enormous sum of money from Se-ri’s sibling, Seung-joon continues on the run, and chooses to look for refuge in North Korea.

«North Korea could be the place that is only Interpol can not achieve,» Kwak says.

Could it be real that North Korea provides protection for desired crooks in return for an amount that is hefty of? «It should indeed be plausible,» Kwak claims. «which is all i would ike to state.»

Praise off their defectors

Some have actually accused Crash Landing you of glamorising North Korea. For instance, villagers appear to have an abundance of meals – however in truth meals shortages are a recurring issue.

However these details that are nuanced hardly ever seen by South Koreans, therefore the drama has also got other defectors excited.

Chun Hyo-jin, whom defected whenever she was 19, stated the drama does deviate from reality but that will not dent her passion because of it. Nearly all of her household are now actually surviving in the Southern, while the drama is becoming a topic that is weekly.

«Every time it is on atmosphere, we call one another on the phone and speak about the drama,» Chun states.

«It offers made the folks thinking about North Korea. It gets my buddies to inquire of me personally about North Korea and I also’m actually grateful for this.»

Additionally it is won praise from individuals like Sokeel Park, whom works together with defectors through Liberty in North Korea.

«Its depiction of numerous components of North society that is korean obviously been completely investigated, ensuing in the many three-dimensional depiction of North Korean culture of every movie or drama up to now,» he told the BBC.

«It is refreshing just how it portrays different components of North society that is korean needlessly passing judgement, and shows North Koreans as complex those who are fundamentally relatable and also lovable, even when these are generally culturally various.»

It is distinguished that North Koreans, especially the youths, are fans of K-drama too – so when Crash Landing for you accurately depicts, plenty of South Korean films and dramas are smuggled into North Korea.

Kwak claims he has gotn’t been aware of any Korean that is north who watched the drama.

«I’m certain they’ll be extremely interested. It is their tale. It really is about them.

«And we reckon that especially North Korean guys would feel really grateful to own a guy that is handsome Hyun Bin to try out one of these,» he chuckled.