Crash Landing on You (Korean: 사랑의 불시착) is a 2019 South Korean romantic comedy TV show written by Park Ji-eun and directed by Lee Jung-hyo. It stars Hyun Bin, Son Ye-jin, Kim Jung-hyun, and Seo Ji-hye. The story follows Yoon Se-ri, a wealthy South Korean woman who is caught in a tornado while paragliding and lands in North Korea. There, she meets Ri Jeong-hyeok, a North Korean army captain who helps her stay hidden. Despite the political differences between their countries, the two characters develop a romantic relationship. Another part of the story involves Gu Seung-jun, a man who lies to escape trouble and goes to North Korea, and Seo Dan, a musician who is engaged to Jeong-hyeok.

Park Ji-eun created Crash Landing on You after learning about a real event where a South Korean actress drifted into North Korean waters. The show’s story is inspired by the challenges of the Korean division and books like The Wonderful Wizard of Oz and The Little Prince. The series was produced by Studio Dragon and Culture Depot with a budget of about $20 million. It was filmed over six months in Switzerland, Mongolia, and South Korea using a filming method called live-shooting. The music for the show was composed by Nam Hye-seung.

The series has 16 episodes and first aired on tvN from December 14, 2019, to February 16, 2020. It was also shared worldwide by Netflix. Critics praised the show for its beautiful visuals, acting, and the way the main characters interact. However, some people in South Korea criticized it for showing North Korea in a positive light, and others said it used too many product ads. North Korean media called the show a "provocative" lie. The show was very popular, with its final episode reaching a rating of 21.7%, making it the most-watched drama on tvN at the time.

The series shows daily life in North Korea and the differences in beliefs between North and South Korea. It was a big success for the Korean Wave, especially in Japan, where it helped increase sales for brands shown in the show and boosted tourism in places where it was filmed in Switzerland. The show was also shared in North Korea through secret markets, and one of its lines became a popular phrase. A musical version of the show was made and won awards, including a top honor for Hyun Bin at the 7th APAN Star Awards. Park Ji-eun was named "Unification Education Person of the Year" by the Ministry of Unification for helping people understand North and South Korea through the series.

Cast and characters

• Hyun Bin as Ri Jeong-hyeok:
• Son Ye-jin as Yoon Se-ri:
• Kim Jung-hyun as Gu Seung-jun:
• Seo Ji-hye as Seo Dan:
• Yang Kyung-won as Pyo Chi-su: A sergeant-major in Company Five. He has a short temper and is hostile toward Se-ri because of his prejudices against South Korea, but he is kind and loyal.
• Lee Shin-young as Park Kwang-beom: A staff sergeant known for his good looks and quiet nature. He respects and is loyal to Jeong-hyeok.
• Yoo Su-bin as Kim Ju-meok: A soldier who loves the Korean Wave (Hallyu). His knowledge of South Korean dramas helps him translate Se-ri's slang for his comrades.
• Tang Jun-sang as Geum Eun-dong: The youngest member of the unit. He is the only one who supports his family financially and is close to Se-ri. He has nine years of military service left and often misses his mother.

• Oh Man-seok as Cho Cheol-gang: A Lieutenant Commander in the Ministry of State Security and the main villain of the series. A former kotjebi, he climbed the ranks using bribery and corruption. He organizes crimes like drug trafficking, illegal digging near the DMZ, and hiding criminals. He kills people who threaten to expose him, including Jeong-hyeok's brother.
• Kim Young-min as Jung Man-bok: A wiretapper assigned to watch Jeong-hyeok, called "The Rat" (gwittaegi). He works for Cheol-gang to protect his family. He once gave information that led to the death of Jeong-hyeok's brother and former benefactor, Ri Mu-hyeok. He feels guilty and later helps Jeong-hyeok and Se-ri stop Cheol-gang.
• Kim Young-pil as Senior Colonel Kim Ryong-hae: Jeong-hyeok's superior who is easily influenced by his wife, Ma Young-ae.

• Jun Gook-hwan as Ri Chung-ryeol: Jeong-hyeok's father and the Director of the General Political Bureau. A vice-marshal, he is known as the "Old Fox" (olden yewu) in the military.
• Jung Ae-ri as Kim Yun-hui: Jeong-hyeok's calm mother who usually follows her husband's decisions, except when it involves her children.

• Nam Kyung-eup as Yoon Jeung-pyeong: Se-ri's father and the chairman of Queens Group. After being imprisoned for financial crimes, he steps down and names Se-ri his successor, trusting her ability more than his other children.
• Bang Eun-jin as Han Jeong-yeon: Se-ri's stepmother. Their relationship is difficult because Jeong-yeon once left a young Se-ri at a beach after being upset by her husband's infidelity.
• Choi Dae-hoon as Yoon Se-jun: Se-ri's oldest brother. He is clumsy, hot-headed, and immature.
• Hwang Woo-seul-hye as Do Hye-ji: Se-jun's wife and a former actress. She married him for his money and tries to ensure he becomes chairman.
• Park Hyung-soo as Yoon Se-hyeong: Se-ri's older brother. He is angry about Se-ri becoming the heir. When he learns she survived in North Korea, he tries to stop her from returning to protect his claim to the family's wealth.
• Yoon Ji-min as Go Sang-ah: Se-hyeong's ambitious wife who wants Se-ri's company for herself. She works to keep Se-ri trapped in the North.
• Ko Kyu-pil as Hong Chang-sik: Se-ri's nervous team manager who, along with Su-chan, searches for her tirelessly.
• Im Chul-soo as Park Su-chan: An insurance agent who tries hard to prove Se-ri is still alive.

• Hong Woo-jin as Cheon Su-bok: A corrupt North Korean official who helps criminals enter and stay in North Korea illegally.
• Yoon Sang-hoon as Manager Oh: A broker who connects Seung-jun with a North Korean safe haven service.

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Production

The screenwriter Park Ji-eun created the idea for Crash Landing on You after learning about a South Korean actress who accidentally drifted into North Korean waters while boating in Incheon in 2008. Inspired by this event, she wrote a first draft with the working title Chaebol in North Korea (북한에 간 재벌). The project took 11 years to complete as Park balanced it with other work. At first, the story showed the main character crossing the border by boat, but Park changed it to an aviation accident to make the plot different from the films North Korean Guys (2003) and The Net (2016). Military and aviation experts told her that paragliders are harder to detect on radar than motorized planes. She also studied reports about North Korean Special Operations Forces using paragliders to enter South Korea.

To accurately show life in North Korea, the production team studied talk shows and content shared by defectors on AfreecaTV and YouTube. Park interviewed refugees from many backgrounds, including soldiers, government workers, merchants, drivers, doctors, and artists. Kwak Moon-an, a defector and writer, helped as an assistant. Baek Kyung-yoon, an expert in North Korean dialects, helped the director with language details. Director Lee Jung-hyo said North Korea was chosen as a setting because it offers a "separated space where romance can happen and where tense situations can blend."

By 2018, the writing and planning were finished. The story was based on the conflict of the Korean Peninsula: people who share the same language, looks, and history but are separated, with South Koreans not allowed to enter North Korea. The series was inspired by The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (1900) and The Little Prince (1943), using the idea that "sometimes taking the wrong path leads to the right place." On May 22, 2019, Studio Dragon and Culture Depot were named as the production companies, with Lee directing and the series planned for tvN.

On the day the project was announced, Hyun Bin and Son Ye-jin were cast as the lead actors. This was their second time working together, after the 2018 film The Negotiation. Hyun played Ri Jeong-hyeok, a character who is strict and principled but kind to those he trusts. He studied the North Korean dialect and trained physically for the role. Son played Yoon Se-ri, a character she described as bringing "joy and unexpected laughter." She said Se-ri is not just a perfect, strict figure but also warm and energetic.

In July 2019, Seo Ji-hye joined the cast as Seo Dan, Jeong-hyeok's fiancée. She said she was drawn to the role because the character is both polished and sincere. She studied the North Korean dialect and researched local fashion and hairstyles. That same month, Kim Jung-hyun was cast as Gu Seung-jun, a businessman with a complicated relationship to Yoon Se-ri. Kim described the character as having both ambition and hidden emotions.

By late July 2019, Oh Man-seok was cast as Cho Cheol-gang, a Ministry of State Security officer. Other actors included Park Myung-hoon, Kim Young-min, Ko Kyu-pil, Kim Sun-young, Nam Kyung-eup, Park Hyung-soo, Jang Hye-jin, Cha Chung-hwa, Jang So-yeon, Choi Dae-hoon, Yoon Ji-min, Tang Jun-sang, Lee Shin-young, Hwang Woo-seul-hye, Kim Young-pil, Yoo Su-bin, Im Chul-soo, and Jung Ae-ri. Local governments, including Sunchang County and Chungju, supported the production. The series included advertisements for brands like Vanav, Genesis BBQ, Younglim Interior Design, Mediheal, Manyo Factory, and Jaguar Land Rover Korea.

The production budget was estimated at $20 million by Nikkei Asia. In September 2019, Hi Investment & Securities reported that Studio Dragon planned to sell broadcast rights to Netflix to reduce financial risk after the poor performance of Arthdal Chronicles (2019) and to take advantage of the global online streaming market. A partnership between CJ ENM, Studio Dragon, and Netflix was confirmed on November 21, 2019, ensuring the series would be available on Netflix.

The series used a live-shoot system, which involved a tight schedule and frequent interruptions during its six-month production. Scholars Sarah A. Son and Juliette Schwak noted that the story was designed for both domestic and international audiences, matching the strategies of tvN and Netflix for Korean content. Production design required careful attention to avoid political issues. Property manager Joo Dong-man said items showing the Kim family, which are illegal to reproduce in South Korea, had to be blurred or resized. The team faced challenges finding authentic North Korean items, such as mobile phones, which cost three times more than an iPhone when bought from defectors.

The first script reading happened in August 2019. Principal photography began in Switzerland that month, with locations like Interlaken and the Jungfrau region used for the characters' first meeting. Other locations included Kleine Scheidegg, the Panorama Sigriswil bridge, the Grindelwald-First adventure park, and the boat landing at Iseltwald. Filming moved to Mongolia from September 16 to 21, 2019, where Ulaanbaatar stood in for Pyongyang and Kaesong. A steam locomotive was used, requiring filming during stops. Scenes like the campfire in Episode 5 and the train crossing fields were also filmed in Mongolia, with the latter shot using a drone.

The rest of the filming took place in South Korea. The paragliding accident scene used computer-generated imagery (CGI) to show North Korean objects in a tornado, a visual nod to The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. Scenes of the Korean Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) were filmed at volcanic rock formations on Jeju Island, though the director found the real DMZ did not match the story's "fantasy space" aesthetic. The North Korean village set was built in Hoengseong (Gangwon Province) and Chungju (North Chungcheong Province). The picnic scene in Episode 6 was filmed at Binae Island in Chungju in late November to capture autumn reeds. On January 27, 2020, Son Ye-jin was hospitalized for fatigue but returned to the set soon after. Filming ended on February 13,

Thematic analysis

The TV series Crash Landing on You shows the differences between North and South Korea and was aired during a time when relations between the two countries were improving. Instead of focusing on fighting or uniting the countries, the story explores how people from both nations might live together peacefully. It follows the relationship between a wealthy woman from a large business family and a soldier, with their characters representing ideas about capitalism and socialism. Scholars Shin Nam-ho and Doyle Greene said that differences in ideas between North and South Korea made it hard for the main characters to be together. Scholars Stephen Epstein and Christopher K. Green called the series an important example of how South Korea portrays North Korea. Indumathi Somashekar and Kim Heon-sik said the show helped people see North Koreans as human and showed their values.

Son and Schwak said the series shows North Korea in a nostalgic way, as if it were a past version of South Korea before modern development. This is shown by contrasting the "visually muted" North with the colorful South and by showing North Korean characters surprised by the modern city of Seoul. The series describes North Korea as a strict government with problems like oppression and corruption, while South Korea is shown as kind, with examples like the National Intelligence Service treating the main characters with care. The story also shows the downsides of South Korean capitalism through the greedy actions of one character’s brothers. Shin, Son, and Schwak said the main characters meeting in Switzerland shows a forced agreement and the difficulty of uniting the two Koreas. Shin said their love could not happen on the Korean peninsula.

Critic Hwang Jin-mi said the North Korean setting in the series was a clever choice for a romantic comedy. It created a "forbidden" feeling, similar to the story of Romeo and Juliet, where geography, not a fictional country, was the main obstacle. The series uses common Korean drama themes like "meant-to-be" meetings and "accidental" close contact between characters, but changes how men and women are shown, with both characters risking their lives to save each other. An Ji-yoon said the style of the show is quirky and like a fairy tale. Kim Jeong-hee said North Korean dialects with subtitles and references to pop culture, like the boy band BTS, helped attract viewers.

The series was praised for accurately showing life in North Korea, based on research and advice from people who fled the country. Joo Sung-ha, a defector, said the show correctly showed details like people secretly watching South Korean media and morning exercises with propaganda messages. The series shows challenges like frequent power outages, using bicycles to power televisions, and storing batteries because of shortages. Other hardships include bathing in washbasins during winter and using seawater to make kimchi because of salt shortages. The show shows markets called jangmadang where South Korean goods are traded illegally and describes the lives of North Korean elites as similar to capitalist society. It also shows real issues like unexpected home visits by officials, constant monitoring, and corruption.

Original soundtrack

The Crash Landing on You Original Soundtrack (OST) was created by music director Nam Hye-seung. It includes 11 singles and 18 original score tracks. Stone Music Entertainment made the album available on online music services on February 16, 2020. A physical version of the album was available for pre-order on February 11 and officially released on February 17. This version includes two CDs, a 104-page lyric photobook, two mini-posters, and two film photocards. Pre-orders also received an extra exclusive poster. A vinyl version with two LPs and a lyric photobook was released on September 26, 2022. This version removed IU’s song “Give You My Heart” (마음을 드려요) and some background tracks, reducing the total number of songs to 22.

The lead single, “But It’s Destiny” (우연인 듯 운명) by 10cm, focuses on themes of chance and fate. It is a slow song that begins with piano music and later adds electronic sounds and guitar. Yoon Mi-rae’s “Flower” has a simpler and different vocal style compared to her other songs on the soundtrack. Davichi’s “Sunset” (노을) is a ballad that mixes acoustic instruments with modern rock. The lyrics describe the sadness of not being able to repay a quiet love, using sunset as a symbol. Baek Ye-rin’s “Here I Am Again” (다시 난, 여기) avoids repeating the same verses and instead tells a story that develops over time. The song expresses the longing of lovers who must separate but eventually reunite.

Kim Jae-hwan’s “Someday” (어떤 날엔) combines piano and string music to show the sorrow of characters Ri Jeong-hyeok and Yoon Se-ri over their impossible romance. The production team designed the Part 6 single “Photo of My Mind” (내 마음의 사진) by Song Ga-in, Part 7’s “The Hill of Yearning” (그리움의 언덕) by April 2, and the instrumental “The Season of Us” (너와 나의 그 계절) as a connected group of songs. These tracks share a short musical theme inspired by Korean folk music to reflect the series’ North–South Korean setting. While they begin with the same melody, their structures change later. The lyrics of “The Hill of Yearning” and “Photo of My Mind” work together like a call and response, creating a unified musical and story theme.

Sejeong’s “All of My Days” (나의 모든 날) starts directly with vocals to create a monologue-like effect about unspoken words to a lover. “Like You” (좋다), a duet by So Soo-bin and Nature’s Sohee, uses acoustic guitar to show the happiness of love through simple, everyday images. Crush’s “Let Us Go” (둘만의 세상으로 가) is a piano-driven song that reflects the lingering feelings of the main characters. The final single, IU’s “Give You My Heart,” uses soft, whispered vocals and breathy singing. The song begins calmly, then builds to a chorus with strings, followed by a section with only voices after the climax. The lyrics express a heartfelt confession described as both painful and sincere.

Several background tracks help set the mood of the series, including the opening theme “Sigriswil” (시그리스빌), performed by Kim Kyung-hee (April 2) with a neutral vocal tone. “The Song for My Brother” (형을 위한 노래) is a piano piece that represents Jeong-hyeok’s memories of his brother and his connection to Se-ri. Its melody sounds like a music box. A writer for Top Star News, Im Ra-ra, called the soundtrack an “OST gourmet spot” and praised it for enhancing the series’ visual and auditory experience. On the Gaon Chart, the album reached number 8 on the weekly chart and number 14 on the monthly chart for February 2020. By the end of the first half of 2020, the album sold 24,881 copies.

Release

On October 25, 2019, tvN posted a 14-second teaser for Crash Landing on You on YouTube. The teaser showed Hyun Bin and Son Ye-jin in Switzerland and Mongolia. In early November, a second teaser was released. It showed Hyun Bin discovering Son Ye-jin hanging from a tree. He pointed his gun at her before she lost her balance and fell into his arms. Three days later, tvN released the first poster. The poster showed the two main actors camping under a starry sky and confirmed the series would premiere in December 2019. Footage from the script reading was shared on November 8, 2019.

On November 15, 2019, an interview with Hyun Bin and Son Ye-jin introducing the series was released. Later that week, the production team shared character stills of Hyun Bin, Son Ye-jin, Seo Ji-hye, and Kim Jung-hyun. On November 19, teasers featuring the four main characters were posted. The first trailer was released on November 29, showing the secret romance between the main characters. The main poster, which included all four lead actors, was shared on December 8, 2019. The next day, the director and cast held a press conference to talk about the series’ plot. During the event, the production team released stills, teasers, highlights, and behind-the-scenes footage.

Crash Landing on You followed Melting Me Softly in tvN’s weekend 21:00 (KST) time slot. The series had 16 episodes and premiered on December 14, 2019. It was originally planned to end on February 2, 2020. On December 31, 2019, the production team announced a break for the first week of January 2020 to ensure safe filming. On January 4 and 5, 2020, tvN aired two special episodes titled “Turn on the Light of Love” (사랑불을 켜라), which summarized episodes 3 through 6 and included behind-the-scenes footage. On January 20, 2020, the team announced another break for the Lunar New Year holiday. A special episode titled “Lunar New Year Gift Set” (설 선물세트가) aired on January 25. The series ended on February 16, 2020.

In South Korea, the series was livestreamed on the subscription platform TVING. During one episode, the platform’s servers crashed because of high traffic, with 92.5% of active users watching the stream. Episodes later became available on TVING VOD. Internationally, Netflix got exclusive rights to show the series in over 190 countries through a partnership with CJ E&M and Studio Dragon. In Asia, English-speaking regions, and Latin America, episodes were released on Netflix right after they aired in South Korea. In Japan and Europe, the full series was released on February 16, 2020. On the Netflix version, a background track from episode 13, during Kim Ju-meok’s meeting with Choi Ji-woo, was replaced because of copyright issues.

In 2022, Crash Landing on You was adapted into a musical. The 170-minute musical, with a 20-minute intermission, was written by Park Hae-rim, composed by Lee Sang-hoon, and directed by Park Ji-hye. It premiered on September 16, 2022, and had commercial success similar to the original drama. A filmed version of the musical was released only in CJ CGV theaters on November 30, 2023.

Reception

The TV series Crash Landing on You received a lot of attention for how it showed North Korea. Critics praised the series and included it in lists of the best Korean dramas on Netflix. On the website Rotten Tomatoes, the series has a 100% approval rating based on six reviews. Megan Vick of Entertainment Weekly and Kayti Burt of Time called it "perfect" and "iconic," respectively, and recommended it as a good introduction to Korean dramas. Variety described it as an "unforgettable classic," while Jo Walker of The Guardian said the show was "addictively off-the-wall, heartbreaking, and hilarious."

Reviewers praised the series' production quality, calling it "outstanding" with "beautiful visuals" and a "deft telling." The Washington Post said the show was "charming" and "addictive," with Wadzanai Mhute of The Daily Beast noting it "draws the viewer in." Samuel Stone of Film and Variety highlighted the mix of romantic comedy and action. While Megan Vick and Erikson found the premise somewhat strange, cultural critic Ha Jae-geun praised the show's ability to carry out the concept without feeling forced. Stone compared the South Korean subplot involving a family power struggle to the American series Succession (2018–2023).

The cast's performances were highly praised. Pop culture critic Hwang Jin-mi said the acting helped overcome controversies about the show's portrayal of North Korea. Burt, Mhute, and critic Anthony Kao of Cinema Escapist praised the chemistry between leads Hyun Bin and Son Ye-jin, calling it a key reason for the show's popularity among romance fans. Yoon Ji-hye of TV Daily said the pair made the unrealistic premise believable. Randy Schiff of The Buffalo News called Son's performance "excellent," praising her decisive and charismatic portrayal, while Yoon noted her complex character, balancing desperation, humor, and strength.

Schiff described Hyun's performance as "superb." Yoon said he created a new type of North Korean man, while Mhute found his portrayal of a soldier "emotionally repressed" and "captivating." Burt credited the supporting cast for the show's success, with Walker noting they made the series enjoyable. Lee Su-yeon of IZE and Erikson praised the supporting actors, emphasizing the importance of the four soldiers under Jeong-hyeok's command and the women in the North Korean village. Schiff singled out Yang Kyung-won, Hwang Woo-seul-hye, Oh Man-seok, Nam Kyung-eup, and Yoo Su-bin for their "fine performances." Mhute appreciated the show's use of a story within a story about a soldier who loves K-dramas.

Crash Landing on You became very popular in South Korea and around the world, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. In South Korea, it was called a "national romantic comedy" and topped viewership ratings during its timeslot. It started with a nationwide rating of 6.1% and ended with 21.6%, becoming the highest-rated drama in tvN history. It held this record for four years until it was surpassed in 2024 by Queen of Tears, another show by Park Ji-eun.

The series was secretly sent into North Korea through video tapes and hard drives from the Chinese border, gaining widespread viewership. Surveys in 2021 and 2022 found Crash Landing on You to be the most popular K-drama in North Korea. In Japan, the drama became popular during the pandemic. After its February release, it stayed in Netflix Japan's top 10 list until June 2020. The title Crash Landing on You was among the top ten buzzwords of 2020 chosen by U-Can. Netflix ranked the series fourth on its list of most-loved South Korean TV shows of 2019.

On May 14, 2020, the Ministry of Unification named Park Ji-eun the "Unification Education Person of the Year." She was recognized for indirectly showing North Korean culture and positively influencing unification education through the series.

The series faced criticism for "glamorizing North Korea," with critics saying it made life in North Korea look better than it is. Drama critic Gong Hee-jeong said the screenwriters' portrayal of North Koreans was "excessive," which upset some viewers. Cultural critic Hwang Jin-mi disagreed, saying the series showed negative aspects of North Korean life, like frequent blackouts, stalled trains, and kotjebi. On January 22, 2020, the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency reviewed a complaint from the Christian Liberty Unification Party, accusing tvN and the production team of breaking the National Security Act by praising the North Korean regime. According to Asia Economy, the police faced a difficult situation because relations between North and South Korea had improved under President Moon Jae-in.

The series also faced scrutiny over obvious product placement (PPL) featuring South Korean brands, even though the show is set in North Korea. Many viewers found these details forced and unrealistic, especially since some products were modeled by the actors. To address this, the production team added a disclaimer at the start of episodes, explaining the series is fictional. Lee Jung-hyo said Crash Landing on You is a romantic comedy and a bright fantasy where the romance between the four main characters can happen. The team explained that scenes with South Korean products, like coffee sticks and "talking rice cookers," were not intentional PPL

Legacy

The drama Crash Landing on You helped increase interest in the Korean Wave, drawing more viewers, including many men. During its broadcast, phrases like "Director of the General Political Bureau of the KPA" and "gwittaegi" became popular search terms in South Korea. Companies such as BBQ Chicken and Mediheal reported higher sales after their products appeared in the series. The show increased interest in South Korean content in Japan, leading many to sign up for Netflix to watch it. It became a major social topic, with Weekly Asahi noting that Hyun Bin's popularity caused a rise in Japanese women experiencing "Hyun Bin loss." The drama also brought many fans to filming locations in Switzerland, causing concerns about too many visitors. In 2023, the town of Iseltwald introduced a fee for access to the dock where a character plays piano in the series.

According to Radio Free Asia, the line "Are you a General?" (네가 장군님이니?) from the show became a slang term in North Korea. In South Pyongan Province, the phrase is used to mock people who act arrogant, while in North Hamgyong Province, it is used to embarrass young people who behave disrespectfully. Authorities reportedly stopped people from using the phrase, believing it was a criticism of Kim Jong Un's leadership. Many residents tried to hide or destroy their devices to avoid being caught with the show. Scholar Choi Sang-min noted that the show's wide reach and emotional impact on North Korean citizens forced the regime to take strict action, increasing punishments for watching South Korean media.

In late February 2020, the production team and Park Ji-eun gave 130 million won to the Hope Bridge Korea Disaster Relief Association to help with South Korea's response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The show also affected the personal lives of actors Hyun Bin and Son Ye-jin, who started dating in March 2020 and married on February 10, 2022. In June 2024, the series was parodied as Trash Landing on You to mock North Korea's practice of sending waste-filled balloons to South Korea. South Korean activists used the show as anti-Pyongyang propaganda, sending it to North Korea through USB drives, bottles, and balloons. An American remake, produced by Studio Dragon with a U.S. partner, is being developed.