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An love that is implausible by which a (literally) high-flying South Korean heiress unintentionally paraglides into North Korea, lands on a soldier and falls in deep love with him is just about the latest Korean drama smash hit.
Crash Landing it achieved by having a real-life North Korean defector on its writing team, as BBC Korean’s Subin Kim explains on you is in many ways a typical K-drama romance, but has been widely praised for its well-researched and nuanced portrayal of North Korea, something.
Together with broad arms and dense torso, Kwak Moon-wan has all of the look of the bodyguard.
Which is most likely because until 2004, he served using the Supreme Guard Command, the elite protection force which protects North Korea’s ruling Kim household.
He had been therefore trusted which he had been assigned to the office offshore too, for a North Korean trade business in Moscow that was attracting much needed currency that is foreign.
just a choose few North Koreans are allowed to get results beyond your nation, and also to make sure their loyalty that is continued the have actually measures in position – Kwak had to keep their wife and son behind in North Korea.
In 2004, he had been bought to come back to Pyongyang. Within a stopover in Beijing, he learned one of his true buddies in Moscow had reported with their bosses in Pyongyang what he had stated in personal discussion.
He knew straight away that exactly just what he’d stated would cause trouble that is huge he got house.
During our discussion in a restaurant in Seoul, Kwak kept glancing around to check on whom could be nearby. He speech is easy, if not dull, but Kwak would not duplicate if you ask me just just just what he stated. He’d just state he had talked by what he saw while escorting users of the Kim household in the past.
So he made a decision to defect. Alone. And then he has resided in South Korea without their family members from the time.
“I just have actually one shadow as soon as the sunlight pops up,” Kwak said. “which is my entire life in Southern Korea.”
After showing up in South Korea, Kwak, like lots and lots of North Korean defectors, started the entire process of developing a new lease of life. And it also took an amazing twist of fate for Kwak to locate their means to the booming realm of Korean entertainment.
From defector to movie adviser
Before going into the armed forces, Kwak had invested time studying movie. Right straight Back when you look at the 1980s, the North film that is korean had been booming, because of then frontrunner Kim Jong Il’s well-known passion for the art.
At that time, Kwak ended up being going to embark on further training, and then he wound up being accepted to review movie directing in Pyongyang University of Dramatic and Cinematic Arts.
Right after Kwak found its way to Southern Korea, a famous filmmaker whom was focusing on a North Korea-themed film task approached South Korea’s spy agency asking for a few advice.
Kwak had simply completed their interrogations, an element of the resettlement procedure defectors that are new through, by which he’d discussed their movie abilities.
The agency place him in contact with the filmmaker, whom offered him task at their movie company. Kwak accepted it straight away.
He proceeded to function as an adviser and a screenwriter on an amount of movies and dramas, as well as in 2018 a colleague that is former Kwak to Park Ji-eun 
, your head composer of the drama.
She had show up with a sense of an intimate comedy having a North Korean officer and a South Korean heiress, but her absence of intimate familiarity with north life ended up being a pressing concern.
Kwak joining the united group kick-started the Crash Landing on You project.
Undercover spies and homeless young ones
The show is actually the most effective dramas that is korean of time. It informs the storyline of heiress and businesswoman Yoon Se-ri and North Korean military captain Ri Jeong-hyuk.
While out paragliding 1 day, Se-ri gets swept up by freak winds, and forced on the edge into North Korea. She’s discovered by the dashing Jeong-hyuk, whom rather than 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 exactly just how North Korean officials run meant he had been in a position to add plot that is ingenious.
For instance, at one point, secret police run into Se-ri hiding in a town. Jeong-hyuk quickly pops up aided by the line that she actually is a spy with Division 11, the army device which works undercover within the Southern.
That can help explain her accent that is southern shortage of documents and her appearance, and provided the type the freedom to explore the town and communicate with other people, while refusing to resolve their questions regarding her life on safety grounds.
Through the show, you will find depictions of life which may be produced legitimate through the insights of somebody like Kwak.
Trains are shown suddenly stopping due to energy cuts, homeless young ones on the roads, and fridges used to store publications and garments rather than meals.
Kwak additionally aided produce a subplot within the drama, of another couple of star-crossed fans through the North and Southern, Gu Seung-joon and Seo.
After embezzling a large amount of cash from Se-ri’s sibling, Seung-joon continues the run, and chooses to seek refuge in North Korea.
“North Korea could be the only position the Interpol can not achieve,” Kwak says.
Could it be correct that North Korea provides protection for desired crooks in return for a hefty sum of money? “It is definitely plausible,” Kwak claims. “that is all let me state.”
Praise off their defectors
Some have actually accused Crash Landing for you of glamorising North Korea. For instance, villagers appear to have a great amount of meals – however in truth meals shortages are a recurring issue.
However these details that are nuanced seldom seen by South Koreans, as well as the drama has also got other defectors excited.
Chun Hyo-jin, who defected whenever she was 19, stated the drama does deviate from reality but that doesn’t dent her passion for this. Almost all of her family members are now actually located in the Southern, as well as the drama is becoming a topic that is weekly.
“Every time it really is on atmosphere, we call one another in the phone and speak about the drama,” Chun states.
“This has made individuals enthusiastic about North Korea. It gets my buddies to inquire about me personally about North Korea and I also’m actually grateful because of it.”
It is also won praise from individuals like Sokeel Park, whom works closely with defectors through Liberty in North Korea.
“Its depiction of numerous facets of North society that is korean plainly been completely investigated, ensuing in the many three-dimensional portrayal of North Korean culture of every movie or drama up to now,” he told the BBC.
“It is refreshing exactly exactly just how it portrays different areas of North society that is korean needlessly moving judgement, and shows North Koreans as complex people that are finally relatable and also lovable, regardless if they have been culturally various.”
It really is distinguished that North Koreans, especially the kids, are fans of K-drama too – so when Crash Landing for you accurately illustrates, lots of South Korean films and dramas are smuggled into North Korea.
Kwak states he has gotn’t been aware of any Korean that is north who watched the drama.
“I’m certain they’ll certainly be really interested. It is their tale. It is about them.
“And we reckon that especially North Korean males would feel extremely grateful to own a guy that is handsome Hyun Bin to relax and play one of those,” he chuckled.