SEOUL—The meeting of Hyun Bin’s and Son Ye-jin’s characters in “Crash Landing on You” is no accident. It’s serendipity.

This will be your conclusion after watching the first four episodes of the Netflix Original.

Director Lee Jeong-hyo dropped a big hint about the story line during the drama’s press conference at the Grand Ballroom of the Four Seasons Hotel in Seoul last Dec. 9.

“The two main characters have a special memory in Switzerland,” he said when asked about their shoot abroad. This one sentence was actually a huge clue and a bigger promise of kilig factor. This meant that Jung-hyuk (Hyun Bin) and Se-ri (Son) had crossed paths before she crash-landed into his arms.

“Crash Landing on You” is about a South Korean heiress and a North Korean officer who fall for each other in North Korea. The setting makes the show a fantasy because the tense relationship between the two countries make it impossible for regular citizens to meet at all. ‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍

Because it’s impossible to shoot in North Korea, they had to shoot in different locations instead. A train station in one episode was actually filmed in Mongolia. ‍‍The scenes in the Korean Demilitarized Zone were shot in Jeju. ‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍

Fans of the show have been coming up with their own theories about what happened between Jung-hyuk and Se-ri while they were abroad years before meeting each other again in North Korea.

 

This might explain why Jung-hyuk treats Se-ri the way he does. He probably remembers her and she does not.

Son talked about Switzerland in an interview with Super K. “Se-ri has a story to tell in Switzerland. Despite the place being so beautiful, there’s a rather sad story there. During the scenes, there was a sense of beauty and sadness. I tried to capture that in my acting,” Son said.

Se-ri came to die in Switzerland, a country where euthanasia is legal and accepted. Jung-hyuk, on the other hand, was there to pursue a dream. They truly were opposites even before they became aware of each other’s existence.

Hyun Bin said, “I look forward to showing the viewers the beautiful scenery we were able to capture. My first shoot was in Switzerland. I remember being both nervous and excited to be there. Fortunately, I think we did a pretty good job and got the scenes we wanted,” he said.‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍

Shooting outside Seoul is still exciting for a seasoned actor like him. His last series, “Memories of the Alhambra,” was shot partly in Spain.

The viewers of “Crash Landing on You” are enamored with Hyun Bin’s character Jung-hyuk. His qualities would make any man next to him look bad. Like a true protagonist, he is handsome and a true gentleman. But what really sets him apart is the way he does household chores. He can make his own fresh noodles, roast coffee beans and improvise a bathtub.‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍

When Se-ri complained that she can’t survive washing her hair with just soap, he purchased body wash, shampoo and conditioner from the black market for her.‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍

 

He is a by-the-book soldier but he is a softie when it comes to Se-ri. Jung-hyuk does not think indulging a woman is a weakness.‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍

“During the past few years, I played men who led a gritty life. I wanted to do a lighter and less serious role. I came upon this drama at just the right time,” he said. “The script was really fun. The lines, characters and the story were really well-written and fun, so I wanted to bring that to life.”

The sentiment was echoed by Son. She said that she loved the script from the start. She described it as intriguing.

“I really wanted to do it. I think it was destiny that I came upon this drama. The characters, the situations, and also the sadness and pain the characters suffer later on. This series conveys a variety of emotions, so it was an easy yes for me,” she said.‍‍‍‍‍‍While the two already denied real-life dating rumors, we wanted to know if Son thinks a man like Jung-hyuk is worth a possible heartbreak. She replied by talking about Jung-hyuk’s impact on her character’s life. She said that Se-ri’s birthright and success was her own undoing. She is spoiled and used to getting her way and it took a Jung-hyuk to change all that, according to Son.

“She feels things she’s never felt before. Through her attraction toward him, she changed as a person. For Se-ri, Jung-hyuk is her destiny and someone who completely changes her life. He’s worth more than a heartbreak,” she said.

Hyun Bin voiced his admiration for Son. He said that they worked on a project before but they were not able to do any scenes together. This made him very curious about her when they started working together. “Her professionalism as an actress is really great. We were able to work closely together. When we meet on set, she has already prepared for the scenes that we are about to do,” he said. “It challenged me to do better and learn a lot from her.”

New episodes of “Crash Landing on You” are streamed every Saturday and Sunday on Netflix.