Crash Landing On You’s K-Drama Ending Was Almost So Much Sadder (2024)

Crash Landing on You's ambiguous ending may have left Ri Jeong-hyuk (Hyun Bin) and Yoon Se-ri's (Son Ye-jin) future on a bittersweet note, but the conclusion of their love story was almost a lot sadder. Screenwriter Park Ji-eun has become well-known for her semi-tragic love stories, with Queen of Tears and Crash Landing on You being some of the best K-dramas of all time. However, one major change in Queen of Tears solves Crash Landing on You’s ending issues and leaves Queen of Tears on a much happier note that many wished Crash Landing on You had gotten.

Crash Landing on You’s incredible K-drama romance seemed sweet at first. Yet, it became more and more tragic as political tensions between North and South Korea grew, driving apart Jeong-hyuk and Se-ri at every given opportunity. Though Jeong-hyuk and Se-ri are finally allowed to reunite in Switzerland, they can only do so under heavy restrictions. This finale may not have totally satisfied the epic love story depicted in Crash Landing on You, but the show’s originally tragic K-drama ending makes the Swiss ending seem that much sweeter.

Se-ri and Jeong-hyuk Were Supposed To Part At the 38th Parallel

They Would Have Never Seen Each Other Again

Instead of reuniting again in Switzerland, it's alleged that Jeong-hyuk and Se-ri were originally supposed to part at the 38th parallel, which acts as the border between North and South Korea. Though this sequence ultimately did not end up being Crash Landing on You's final moment, the scene is still included in Crash Landing on You, approximately half an hour into its feature-length finale.

This scene is one of the best moments in Crash Landing on You and epitomizes Se-ri and Jeong-hyuk's impossible love in a devastating climax. Son Ye-jin and Hyun Bin’s performances are at an all-time high as a still-recovering Se-ri rushes to hug Jeong-hyuk one last time before he crosses back into North Korea. It's heartbreaking to watch, especially after the build-up of Jeong-hyuk and Se-ri’s relationship throughout Crash Landing on You. If it had ended here, Crash Landing on You would not only have been sadder but would have gone against its core fundamentals by favoring realism over romantic fantasy.

Why A Realistic Ending Wouldn’t Have Worked in Crash Landing on You

Crash Landing On You Is A Love Story First

Crash Landing on You received praise for its accurate portrayal of North Korea, with assistant writer Kwak Moon-wan sharing insight into North Korean life after defecting to South Korea. Though creative liberties were taken with the romance K-drama's portrayal of North Korea, Crash Landing on You does a great job of balancing fiction and reality by putting the tensions between North and South Korea at the forefront of the K-drama. However, if Crash Landing on You had leaned into its intended realistic ending, it would have done a disservice to the romantic fantasy it had worked so hard to build.

As a whole, Crash Landing on You's main plot is unrealistic and highly unlikely to ever happen in the real world. However, this is one of the things that makes Jeong-hyuk and Se-ri's love story so great. Jeong-hyuk and Se-ri were never meant to meet, let alone fall in love with each other, making the crazy circ*mstances they find themselves in seem nothing but a work of well-written fiction. If Crash Landing on You had opted to favor realism over fiction in its final moments, it would have gone against the very foundation of the K-drama.

Crash Landing On You’s Bittersweet Ending Is Full of Meaning

It's The Happiest Ending Se-ri & Jeong-hyuk Could've Had

Though Crash Landing on You's ending may not satisfy everyone, it stays true to its core themes. The series blends fantasy and reality to create an ending that is most likely the happiest outcome Jeong-hyuk and Se-ri could get, given their circ*mstances. Realistically, Jeong-hyuk and Se-ri would never have been able to meet after parting at the 38th parallel, and their intense love would have been torn apart forever. Thankfully, Crash Landing on You decided against this and instead created an ending full of meaning that remained confined by actuality.

Interpretations of Crash Landing on You's finale vary, but it is heavily implied that Jeong-hyuk and Se-ri can reunite for two weeks yearly during a music competition in Switzerland where Jeong-hyuk competes for North Korea. This meeting place strips away the main barrier that restricted Jeong-hyuk and Se-ri’s love, while also acting as a place of neutrality, as Switzerland has historically remained neutral in global politics. The photos visible in their shared house suggest that Jeong-huk and Se-ri traveled far and wide within the confines of Switzerland and explored every corner of what the country has to offer together.

Though Se-ri and Jeong-hyuk’s reunion is heavily restricted, with Jeong-hyuk most likely unable to travel freely due to the implications of his actions on his family back home, the bold Swiss landscape evokes a newfound sense of freedom that the K-drama couple never had. For two weeks a year, Jeong-hyuk and Se-ri are free to be with each other without worry in the Swiss Alps and enjoy the vastness of the natural world, even if trapped in one place. Crash Landing on You’s ending may not be the happiest, though thankfully, it's not as sad as it could have been.

Crash Landing On You (2019)

TV-14

Comedy

Romance

Where to Watch

*Availability in US

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Not available

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Cast

Hyun Bin , Son Ye-jin , Seo Ji-hye , Kim Jung-hyun

Streaming Service(s)

Netflix

Creator(s)

Lee Jung-hyo , Park Ji-eun

Seasons

1

Writers

Park Ji-eun

Directors

Lee Jung-hyo

Release Date

December 14, 2010