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An love that is implausible by which a (literally) high-flying South Korean heiress inadvertently paraglides into North Korea, lands on a soldier and falls in deep love with him has transformed into 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.
Along with his broad shoulders and torso that is thick Kwak Moon-wan has all of the look of a bodyguard.
Which is most likely because until 2004, he served with all the Supreme Guard Command, the elite protection force which protects North Korea’s ruling Kim family members.
He had been therefore trusted which he had been assigned to operate offshore too, for a North Korean trade business in Moscow that was getting much needed currency that is foreign.
Just a choose few North Koreans are permitted to get results away from nation, and also to guarantee their loyalty that is continued the have actually measures set up – Kwak needed to keep their spouse and son behind in North Korea.
In 2004, he had been purchased to go back to Pyongyang. During a stopover in Beijing, he learned one of his true buddies in Moscow had reported for 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, or even dull, but Kwak would not duplicate for me just just what he stated. He’d just state he had talked by what he saw while escorting people in the Kim family members in the past.
So he made a decision to defect. Alone. In which he has resided in South Korea without their household from the time.
“we just have actually one shadow as soon as the sunlight pops up,” Kwak stated. “that is my entire life in Southern Korea.”
After showing up in Southern Korea, Kwak, like a large number of North Korean defectors, started the entire process of developing a life that is new. Also it took a twist that is remarkable of for Kwak to locate their method to the booming realm of Korean activity.
From defector to movie adviser
Before going into the army, Kwak had invested time researching movie. Right straight Back within the 1980s, the North film that is korean ended up being booming, because of then frontrunner Kim Jong Il’s well-known passion for the art.
At that right time, Kwak ended up being going to attempt further training, in which he wound up being accepted to examine movie directing in Pyongyang University of Dramatic and Cinematic Arts.
Soon after Kwak arrived in South Korea, a filmmaker that is famous ended up being focusing on a North Korea-themed film task approached Southern Korea’s spy agency asking for many advice.
Kwak had simply completed their interrogations, area of the resettlement procedure defectors that are new through, for which he’d discussed their movie skills.
The agency place him in contact with the filmmaker, whom offered him task at their film business. Kwak accepted it right away.
He proceeded to your workplace as an adviser and a screenwriter on lots of movies and dramas, plus in 2018 a colleague that is former Kwak to Park Ji-eun, the top author of the drama.
She had show up with an idea of a intimate comedy featuring a North Korean officer and a South Korean heiress, but her shortage of intimate familiarity with north life had been a pressing concern.
Kwak joining the united team kick-started the Crash Landing on You project.
Undercover spies and children that are homeless
The series happens to be one of the more effective Korean dramas of all of the 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 trapped by freak winds, and pressed on the edge into North Korea. She actually is discovered because of the Jeong-hyuk that is dashing 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 exactly 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 arises aided by the line that this woman is a spy with Division 11, the unit that is military works undercover into the Southern.
That can help explain her accent that is southern absence of documents along with her appearance, and provided trzeЕєwy serwis randkowy the smoothness the freedom to explore the town and communicate with other people, while refusing to respond to their questions regarding her life on safety grounds.
Through the show, you will find depictions of life that could be produced legitimate through the insights of somebody like Kwak.
Trains are shown suddenly stopping due to power cuts, homeless kids in the roads, and fridges used to store publications and clothing rather than meals.
Kwak additionally aided develop a subplot into the drama, of some other set of star-crossed enthusiasts through the North and Southern, Gu Seung-joon and Search Engine Optimization.
After embezzling an amount that is huge of from Se-ri’s bro, Seung-joon continues on the run, and chooses to look for refuge in North Korea.
“North Korea may be the only destination the Interpol can not reach,” Kwak says.
Could it be correct that North Korea provides protection for desired crooks in return for an amount that is hefty of? “It is definitely plausible,” Kwak states. “that is all i would ike to state.”
Praise from other defectors
Some have actually accused Crash Landing you of glamorising North Korea. As an example, villagers appear to have a good amount of meals – however in truth meals shortages really are a problem that is recurring.
However these nuanced details are seldom seen by South Koreans, plus the drama has even got other defectors excited.
Chun Hyo-jin, who defected whenever she ended up being 19, stated the drama does deviate from reality but that will not dent her passion because of it. Almost all of her family members are now actually residing in the Southern, together with drama is now a regular subject.
“Every time it is on atmosphere, we call one another in the phone and speak about the drama,” Chun states.
“This has made the individuals thinking about North Korea. It gets my buddies to inquire about me personally about North Korea and I also’m actually grateful for this.”
It is also won praise from individuals like Sokeel Park, whom works together with defectors through Liberty in North Korea.
“Its portrayal of varied areas of North society that is korean demonstrably been completely investigated, ensuing when you look at 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 just how it portrays different areas of North Korean culture without needlessly moving judgement, and shows North Koreans as complex people that are eventually relatable as well as lovable, even though they have been culturally various.”
It is distinguished that North Koreans, especially the youngsters, 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 claims he’s gotn’t heard about any Korean that is north who watched the drama.
“I’m certain they’ll be very interested. It really is their tale. It’s about them.
“And we reckon that especially North Korean males would feel really grateful to own a handsome man like Hyun Bin to relax and play one of these,” he chuckled.
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