Crash Landing On You: How K-Dramas Changed This Korean Adoptee's Life

K-DramaK-Adoptee

May 8

“A paragliding mishap drops a South Korean heiress in North Korea — and into the life of an army officer, who decides he will help her hide.”

— Netflix

Crash Landing On You (Netflix)

Crash Landing On You is the first Korean drama I ever watched. I first heard about K-dramas a few years ago through my sister-friend who is also a Korean adoptee. I would chuckle every time I saw her engrossed in a K-drama on her phone but never considered checking one out myself.

I am used to subtitles because one of my favorite things during my 16 years in Minneapolis, were several theaters that regularly showed independent films—including foreign films like Parasite, Oscar’s Best Picture in 2020. However, subtitles didn’t seem like something I’d be up for on the regular. I also didn’t think I’d be interested in watching a cast of actors I’ve never heard of, set in a country I know little to nothing about—speaking a language I don’t understand. Especially actors who are a reflection of my image—who remind me I don’t look like the people I’ve been surrounded by my entire life.

But when coronavirus put the world in lockdown, like everyone else, I went searching for content on Netflix and the first thing to catch my eye was Crash Landing On You (CLOY). Netflix has K-dramas—who knew? Crash Landing On You is the perfect one to start with because it has a little bit of everything. It’s funny, it’s romantic, it has intrigue, and action—literally something for everyone.

If you haven’t seen CLOY there are SPOILERS AHEAD. Consider yourself warned if you proceed!

This K-drama centers around S. Korean chaebol heiress, Yoon Se-ri, and Ri Jeong-hyeok, a captain in the N. Korean army. In the U.S. it would probably be categorized as a romantic comedy, but as someone who’s watched many a rom-com, I can tell you it’s so much more. Yes, it’s romantic. Yes, it’s got a lot of humor. But with 16 episodes there’s time to develop the characters which can’t help but get you more invested in them. Koreans would call this a melodrama—a much better-fitting description.

The range of emotions from laughter to streaming tears had me giggling and sobbing. If Hyun Bin and Son Ye-jin were eligible for Emmy’s they’d certainly give everyone a run for their money. The chemistry between these two is so strong they have a legion of fans who’ve named them BinJin and are begging them to get married IRL even though they’re not even dating.

Since Crash Landing On You, I’ve watched numerous K-dramas. I’ve basically turned into the Kim Ju-Meok of America—because almost everything I know about S. Korea comes from watching Korean dramas. Kim Ju-Meok is a lovable N. Korean soldier in CLOY whose obsession with K-dramas gives him insider knowledge of what life is like in S. Korea. Obviously, K-dramas take a lot of artistic license just like American dramas but for someone who knows little to nothing about S. Korea, even this little window into the country where I was born is intriguing. While logically I know Seoul is modern and similar to New York City, in my mind, I’ve always envisioned S. Korea being similar to how CLOY portrayed the village in N. Korea. Even though I was born in S. Korea I’ve not really had much desire to return. Until now.

Korean dramas have literally changed my life and I’m not just talking about the fact Hyun Bin has made me forget about George Clooney. But let’s start with Korean men. In America, Asian men have been primarily emasculated and reduced to nerds or the occasional karate guy. Always the joke, never the lead, and definitely not handsome, strong, or multifaceted. Just ask my fellow adoptee Kevin Krieder, whose documentary The Ugly Model, follows his journey growing up in America as a K-adoptee in a white world.

When I watch Korean dramas sometimes I feel a strong sense of sadness—I feel cheated. Seeing the wide range of Korean guys and how attractive they are I realized it was all a lie. Asian men ARE good looking but the American narrative was so dominant in my formative years I couldn’t see past the negative stereotypes. Why have we allowed Western culture to set the standard when measuring attractiveness? It’s another example of how harmful it can be to not see people who resemble yourself in positive roles in the media. Or in my case almost as a sole minority—pretty much everywhere in my life (home, school, church, sometimes the entire town).

I love that Yoon Se-ri is a strong Korean woman. My K-adoptee-women friends and I would call her a strong-willed Asian woman—a trait many of us share but has taken us well into our adult lives to embrace as something positive. In the very first episode, Se-ri’s dad announces he wants her to become CEO of his company over her two older brothers because she started and has run her own successful company for ten years. I’ve found a strong woman lead in many of the K-dramas I’ve seen which is a nice change from the typical damsel in distress that rom-coms tend to lean towards. Sure, Se-ri needs Jeong-hyeok to help her get out of N. Korea but each has a turn at saving the other. Asian women in the West are saddled with the notion we’re “exotic” which I guess is better than being emasculated. But it’s not only a myth—it’s downright creepy because it’s objectifying and turns us into a fetish.

When I was growing up kids would ask me if I was Chinese or Japanese because they hadn’t even heard of Korea. When you’re constantly teased for having slanty eyes, a flat nose, and spoken to with a fake Asian accent followed by laughter, there’s no way you’re going to feel good about what sets you apart from everyone else. Watching K-dramas all I see are Koreans. All different types of Koreans in all different types of settings. And they look like me. Okay, none of them look just like me, but I do have my eye out for anyone who might have a familial resemblance. How could I not?

I was a bit surprised about three-quarters of the way through CLOY when my daughter Taylor asked if I felt cheated. Being bi-racial (half Korean, half white) both my kids have had their own identity issues figuring out how they fit in. Not white but sometimes kind of passing. Wanting their Korean lineage to be more acknowledged even though it’s not always so obvious. Like me, Taylor couldn’t help but notice the difference when watching sixteen episodes of a show that featured an entire cast of people who look like me set in Korea. It was interesting to have her understand so thoroughly that she even used the same term I had used when talking to my K-adoptee sister-friend. Cheated. My self-worth growing up would’ve been so different had I been surrounded every day by people who looked like me and not been made to feel I was somehow lesser than because of my Korean features.

Crash Landing On You (and other K-dramas) have definitely piqued my interest in Korea. Meanwhile, I have to settle for Korean food—something else K-dramas are making me curious about. I was at Hmart the other day trying to find the noodles I see them slurping up in every episode. I also like the fact it looks to me like Koreans are not afraid to eat—including the women. Guess my kids and I come by that trait naturally. I literally just Googled BBQ Olive Chicken which is featured in CLOY and there’s one here in the Atlanta metro area. Of course, there is a Korean BBQ Olive Chicken location in the Gwinnett area—how did I not realize this? Atlanta has approximately 50,000 people of Korean descent. The Koreatown of the south is mostly centered around the I-85 corridor extending from Duluth, Georgia to Buford Highway in Northeast Atlanta. But back to BBQ Olive chicken—is the local one as good as the one in Seoul? My expectations are so high I think I should probably wait and have it first in Korea.

Korean dramas have truly saved me during the pandemic. I’m like Brandon Kim on TikTok. More times than I care to admit I’ve heard the birds begin to chirp BEFORE going to sleep. But honestly, K-dramas have allowed me the break needed from the anxiety that continues to grow with all the bad headlines in the U.S. One thing I’ve seen in several K-dramas that I like is even though a strong woman character doesn’t need to rely on a man, it doesn’t stop the man from protecting and caring for her. Ri Jeong-Hyeok is a prime example and definitely a hard one to live up to. Whether he’s making Yoon Se-ri noodles from scratch, buying her bras (yes, I said bras), shampoo, and candles, recording a piano piece to help her fall asleep, filling and arranging her cupboards so she can reach everything, or literally taking a bullet for her—he does raise the bar pretty high. Sigh…

Can we also talk about Captain Ri’s Company Five? Pyo Chi-Su, Park Kwang-Beom, Kim Ju-Meok, and Geum Eun-Dong. They should win an ensemble cast award because CLOY isn’t CLOY without them. These characters were endearing and hilarious. Jung Man-Bok, otherwise known as “the rat”, was a nice addition to the group when they headed south. I really enjoyed experiencing S. Korea through their eyes and I’ll need to check out the Red Ginseng Spa where the guys stayed when they were down south. I found this list of several location sights so when I finally go to Korea I’ll have fun finding some of these places.

When the guys land in S. Korea they meet a former N. Korean comrade who advises them on navigating S. Korea without being so obvious they don’t belong. I heard somewhere this actor was a cameo appearance, but having not seen any other Korean dramas I went to the internet to find out who he was. K-drama fans may recognize actor Kim Soo-Hyun in episode ten as a reprisal of his character Dong-Gu, an N. Korean spy hiding out in S. Korea as a Chinese restaurant delivery guy in the 2013 movie Secretly Greatly. Kim Soo-Hyun is also in the 2020 hit, It’s Okay to Not Be Okay as Moon Gang-tae.

The women in the N. Korean village, Na Wol-Suk, Ma Young-Ae, Hyeon Myeong-Sun, Yang Ok-Geum, showed us if technology ever fails us they will still be surviving in N. Korea. I want a kimchi cellar even though I haven’t yet acquired a taste for Korea’s most popular dish. It’s been said the portrayal of the village is fairly accurate though possibly not the camaraderie since the break-down of the state-led economy. This isn’t Jang So-Yeon and Son Ye-Jin’s first K-drama together. I discovered they play best friends in 2018’s Something in the Rain.

As Brandon Kim noted in one of his TikTok videos, the second male lead, Gu Seung-Jung deserved better in Crash Landing on You. As did the second female lead, Seo Dan. If there’s a season two they better raise Seung-Jung from the dead because I don’t know anyone who didn’t want Seo-Dan to find happiness with this charming, changing-his-ways for her, con-man

With all the extra commentary coming from my perspective as a K-adoptee this isn’t your normal review post. But based on a standard rating system I give it 4.99 stars out of five. I admit I wanted more from the finale. The entire second half of the finale we barely see Ri Jeong-hyeok and Yoon Se-ri together but they’re the whole reason we’re watching. He’s no longer in the N. Korean army and he’s a concert pianist. Are we supposed to think he only leaves N. Korea once a year for two weeks to go to Switzerland? Can’t they email, text, and talk on the phone when he’s traveling in other countries? Let’s hope the rumor is true there may be a season two and they were holding back the details because of that.

Which K-Drama Should You Watch Next?

I don’t think I can gush over Hyun Bin and Son Ye-jin anymore than to say I’ve watched other K-dramas and movies they’ve both starred in. The Negotiation is the film that first brought these two together. I enjoyed Something in the Rain and Personal Taste which both feature Son Ye-jin. My Lovely Kim Sam Soon, Jekyll & Hyde, and The Snow Queen showcase a younger Hyun Bin. Son Ye-jin makes a cameo in Hyun Bin’s Secret Garden as herself—this is really the first K-drama they’re in together but apparently didn’t actually meet because they had no scenes together. Memories of the Alhambra had me on the edge of my seat the whole time and I’m not even a gamer.

I see Hyun Bin has been doing Korean dramas and movies since 2003. Again, I feel cheated. 17 years is a significant portion of my life—I mourn the fact I didn’t know this world even existed for most of my life. Didn’t know there was a medium I could watch and observe that featured Koreans. But as they say, better late than never.

Crash Landing On You is the perfect introduction to Korean Dramas. Follow the lovable Kim Ju-Meok’s lead and understand there’s a wealth of information K-dramas provide when it comes to learning about S. Korea. I dare you not to fall in love. Just be prepared to have CLOY take you down the proverbial K-drama rabbit hole. You will be addicted—I mean hooked. Fellow K-adopteees I’d love to hear from you. Have K-dramas provided a similar “ah-ha” moment for you as they have me? Drop me a comment below.

Which two CLOY actors were also in Oscar’s 2020 Best Picture, Parasite?
Which actor reprises a character from a movie for his cameo in CLOY?
What other Hyun Bin K-drama was given a hilarious nod in CLOY?
Which two CLOY actors are dating IRL as confirmed by their agencies in January 2021 and then married in March 2022?

Hangul Title: 사랑의 불시착 translates as “crash of love.” It’s not always the case but for Crash Landing On You I think the English title is a better description of the story.

Released: December 14, 2019 Episodes: 16 Network: tvN

Cast: Hyun Bin (Capt. Ri Jeong-hyeok), Son Ye-jin (Yoon Se-ri), Yang Kyung-Won (Pyo Chi-Su), Lee Sin-Young (Park Kwang-Beom), Yoo Su-Bin (Kim Ju-Meok), Tang Joon-Sang (Geum Eun-Dong), Seo Ji-Hye (Seo Dan), Kim Jung-Hyun (Gu Seung-Jung), Jang Hye-Jin (Ko Myeong-Eun), Park Myoung-Hoon (Ko Myeong-Seok), Kim Young-Min (Jung Man-Bok), FULL CAST

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UPDATES

1/1/2021: Hyun Bin and Son Ye-jin have confirmed through their agencies they’ve been dating since March 2020—and the world is rejoicing! 🥰

3/15/21: We’ll be collaborating with the K-Dramatics Club on Clubhouse Monday, March 29th at 7PM EST talking about the impact K-dramas have on KADs. Come join us.

If you’re on Clubhouse come follow me @thekatturner and the K-Adoptees club.

2/10/22: Hyun Bin and Son Ye-jin have announced they’re getting married! Both actors noted it via Instagram. 💕 측하해요!