The show tells the seemingly unconvincing love story of a South Korean rich second generation woman and a North Korean officer
It`s a seemingly unconvincing love story: a south korean second-generation woman falls from heaven, paragliding into north korea, meets a north korean soldier and falls in love with him.
"The Forced Landing of Love" has become the latest hit Korean drama, which in many ways is a classic Korean-style drama, but has been widely admired for its solid back data and meticulous portrayal of North Korea - something that can be done because of a true defector in its screenwriter team. The following is a report by Subin Kim, the The British Broadcasting Corporation Korean language ministry.
Guo`s broad shoulders and thick torso fully fit the shape of a bodyguard. That`s probably because he served in the North Korean Guard Command until 2004- the elite forbidden guard of the Kim family, North Korea`s top leadership.
He was trusted by the leadership and even sent overseas to work for a North Korean trading company in Moscow. The company brings essential foreign-exchange earnings to North Korea.
Only a very small number of North Koreans are allowed to work abroad, and to ensure their loyalty to their leaders, the state has long been prepared – and Mr Kwok`s wife and children must remain in the country.
Mr. Kwok studied in the film director department at the Pyongyang University of Drama and Film Arts
In 2004, he was ordered to return to pyongyang. During his brief stay in Beijing, he found that one of his friends in Moscow had reported what he had said privately to their superiors in Pyongyang. He immediately realized that what he said would annoy marijuana when he returned home.
While we were talking to each other at a coffee shop in Seoul, Mr. Guo kept looking around to see who was nearby. He spoke simple and direct, even a little blunt, but he refused to tell me what he had said at the time. He only said he spoke of what he had seen when he was escorting Kim`s family.
So he decided to defect, and was alone. Since then, he has cut ties with his family and lived in South Korea.
"Every day the sun rises and all I have is my shadow," he said.
After arriving in South Korea, Mr Kwok, like thousands of other defectors, began to build a new life. A turning point in his fortunes opened the door to South Korea`s increasingly prosperous entertainment industry.
From takeaways to movie consultants
Before joining the army, Guo Wen-an studied movies. In the 1980s, the North Korean film industry once began to flourish, because then leader Kim Jong Il was known as a lover of literature and art.
At that time, mr. guo was about to pursue his further studies and was admitted to pyongyang`s university of drama and film arts as a film director.
Despite the cultural differences, the two fell in love
Shortly after he arrived in South Korea, a prominent filmmaker was planning a North Korean-themed film project. The filmmaker sought advice from South Korea`s intelligence agency.
Mr. Guo had just received an interview - a process that had to go through for a settlement. In the inquiry, he talked about his knowledge of the film.
Intelligence agencies helped him get in touch with the filmmaker, who gave him an invitation to work for a film company, and Mr. Guo immediately agreed.
After that, he was involved in a series of film and TV productions as an adviser and editor; in 2018, a former colleague introduced him to Park Ji-en, editor-in-chief of a new play.
She already had ideas for a love comedy about a North Korean military officer and South Korean plutocrat heir, but her lack of insight into the country`s real life was a big obstacle.
After mr guo joined the team, the "forced landing of love" project officially began.
Lifelike details: undercover spies and street children
The new play has become one of the most successful Korean TV dramas in history. It tells the story of a businesswoman and heir to the plutocrat, Yin Shi-li, and a North Korean officer, Lee Chung-huk.
One day while playing paragliding, yin shili was swept into the wind, blowing into the north korean territory, met li zhenghe. Li Zhenghe promised to keep her safe and help her return home. The two were inevitably in love.
Mr. guo`s in-depth knowledge of the way north korea`s government acts allows him to add a realistic plot element to the story.
The new play has become one of the most successful Korean TV dramas in history
For example, in a certain scene, the secret police met her in the village where Yin Shili was hiding. Lee was quick to think that she was a spy for "11 Sections," a North Korean military unit that went undercover in South Korea.
It also explains her korean accent, her appearance and why she doesn`t have a certificate of identification file. It also gives the character the freedom to get in and out of the village and interact with people, and can safely refuse to answer questions about her personally.
In the whole play, there are many details of life because of the deep insights given by people like Guo Wenan to make the story more authentic and credible.
Train stops suddenly because of the power cut. There are homeless children in the street. The refrigerator is used to store books and clothes instead of food.
Mr. guo also helped create another line of plot: another pair of lovers, ms. hsu and ms. hsu, have an unhappy north-south relationship.
After misappropriating a large sum of money from mr. yin`s brother, mr. yi fled and decided to take refuge in north korea.
"North Korea is the only place Interpol can`t get to," Guo said.
Is it true that North Korea is willing to provide protection for wanted people in exchange for huge sums of money?
"It`s quite possible," Guo said." That`s all I can say. "
Those who go north
Some are "the forced landing of love" to glorify north korea. For example, the villagers in the play seem to have a lot of food, but in reality, food shortage is a long-standing problem.
However, these subtle details are rarely seen by South Korean viewers, and the show even excites other defectors.
Quan Hsiao-jen, who defected at the age of 19, said the show was a bit different from reality, but it didn`t prevent her from enjoying it. Most of her family now live in South Korea, and the show has become the subject of weekly discussions.
Both stars are Korean stars
"When each episode was broadcast, we called to talk about the plot," Quan said.
"It gives rise to interest in North Korea. It made some of my friends start asking me about North Korea, and I`m grateful for that. "
It was also appreciated by Park Shiji. He is a member of the Liberty in North Korea group and often deals with defectors.
"Its description of every aspect of North Korea`s society has clearly been studied in detail, and finally it presents the most three-dimensional picture of the country`s society in all films or television dramas so far," he told The British Broadcasting Corporation.
"It`s fresh that it describes all aspects of North Korean society, but it doesn`t make unnecessary judgments, and it also shows that the richly human North Koreans can eventually resonate with them and are lovely, despite their cultural differences. "
It is well known that some north koreans, the younger generation of especially, are also fans of korean dramas – and the "forced landing of love" tells the truth: many korean movies and tv dramas are smuggled into the country.
Mr. guo said he had not heard of any north koreans who had seen the forced landing of love.
"I`m sure they`ll be very interested. It`s their story. It`s about them. "
"And I think a North Korean man would feel In particular Lucky, because there`s a handsome guy like Xuanbin to play a North Korean," he said with a smile.
