tvN’s drama Crash Landing on You stars Hyun Bin, Son Yejin, Kim Junghyun, and Seo Jihye, set against the backdrop of historically contentious North and South Korean relations. Crash Landing on You highlights the effects of Korea’s separation by depicting the differences in culture and lifestyle, and consequently how these differences affect the people of both nations.

Synopsis

Crash Landing on You follows the story of South Korean heiress Yoon Seri (Son Yejin). She is the illegitimate daughter of the Yoon family, and often falls target to her half-brothers Yoon Sejoon (Choi Daehoon) and Yoon Sehyung (Park Hyungsoo), who want to inherit the family business. Seri decides to leave the family in order to start her own company, Seri’s Choice, which eventually becomes successful. Her father, Yoon Jeungpyeong (Nam Kyungeup) subsequently picks her as the family heir, angering Seri’s brothers.

Before the board meeting takes place to announce the family’s successor, Seri heads out to test a new paragliding product that her company is about to launch. While on the paragliding flight, a sudden tornado blows her off course and she lands in the demilitarized zone in North Korea, a forbidden zone for South Koreans. Here, she meets North Korean officer, Ri Jeonghyuk (Hyun Bin).

Ri Jeonghyuk is a skilled captain in the North Korean army, forced to end his piano studies in Switzerland and return to North Korea after the mysterious death of his brother. He finds Seri while patrolling the demilitarized zone and decides to hide her in his house until he finds a way to send her back home to South Korea. With the two of them living together, their affection for each other begins to grow.

Two other characters, Gu Seungjoon (Kim Junghyun) and Seo Dan (Seo Jihye) further complicate Jeonghyuk and Seri’s love story. Seungjoon is Seri’s former fiancé and a con artist who flees to North Korea to escape getting caught in the South. When he meets Seri in North Korea, he plans to win her back and proposes marriage as a way for her to return home. Meanwhile, Seo Dan is Jeonghyuk’s fiancé of seven years. She loves him dearly but is hurt because Jeonghyuk does not share her affection. Though they both want to be with the people they love, are they capable of separating Jeonghyuk and Seri?

Review

(Disclaimer: Review contains spoilers)

Crash Landing on You is a one-of-a-kind drama that gives insight into the ongoing conflict between North and South Korea. It illustrates just how far apart the people of North and South Korea have drifted in the sixty-seven years since the Korean War. However, despite their numerous differences, we are able to see that both countries still share a bond as a people.

When Seri first lands in North Korea, the situation becomes chaotic as Jeonghyuk and his team attempt to capture her. It is an issue of national concern to have a South Korean citizen in the North, explaining Jeonghyuk’s conflict on whether to turn her over to the authorities or to hide her. When he ultimately decides to keep her hidden, various situations arise in which he must put himself in danger to protect Seri. Through this we are able to witness the beautiful bond between North and South Koreans.

While Jeonghyuk tries to find a way to send Seri back, she stays in his house as his fiancé. She’s even given the chance to interact with his team as well as the women in Jeonghyuk’s neighborhood. Despite their numerous cultural differences, they become close during their time together and manage to showcase the warm spirit of the Korean people.

Jo Cheolkang (Oh Manseok) brings the main source of conflict in the drama. He is bent on taking down Jeonghyuk, and the only weapon he can use against him is Yoon Seri. Cheolkang has a quiet cunningness that radiates danger and he is a formidable character in the story. He goes above and beyond to implicate Ri Jeonghyuk, raising the stakes in the story and giving the drama an exciting development.

Crash Landing on You also emphasizes the concept of family. Seri has gone through a lot of pain as the illegitimate daughter of the Yoon family, often feeling as though she doesn’t belong. The fight for the family’s succession brings forth more pain as one of her brothers attempts to keep her trapped in the North to prevent her from becoming the heir. However, she is able to reconcile the situation with her family and finally manages to have the support she always craved, especially from her mother.

Gu Seungjoon and Seo Dan are introduced as love interests for Seri and Jeonghyuk, respectively. They meet each other while both suffering from unrequited love and end up becoming each other’s comfort. Their relationship eventually blossoms into something beautiful and gives us another North/South couple to root for. Theirs is a story that teaches us to let go of pain and instead open ourselves up to something that is more worthwhile.

A love caught in the crossfires, Crash Landing on You is a heartwarming story about the realities both North and South Korea face as a divided nation. The conclusion is a happy one for Seri and Jeonghyuk, giving us hope for a unified Korea some time in the future.