K-Drama Locations #3 Crash Landing on You — The Korea Filming Locations That Broke the World's Heart
There's a reason Crash Landing on You (사랑의 불시착) became the highest-rated Korean cable drama of all time when it aired on tvN from December 2019 to February 2020. The story of a South Korean heiress who accidentally paraglides into North Korea and falls in love with a North Korean army officer sounds, on paper, like a premise that shouldn't work. On screen, it's two people finding each other across the most politically charged border on earth — and it works completely.
Netflix distributed it globally. Within weeks, people who had never watched a Korean drama before were finishing it in a weekend and immediately searching for the filming locations. That response — the compulsive need to go where the story happened — is what separates the dramas that people watch from the ones that change their relationship with Korean travel.
The locations in CLOY aren't just beautiful. They're specifically chosen to make a love story about two countries feel visually coherent — Jeju standing in for a North Korean forest, a Gangwon valley passing as the Swiss Alps, a Korean west coast beach becoming the first step on Southern soil. The drama built one country's visual vocabulary out of many Korean places. Here's where those places actually are.
Table of Contents
- The Drama That Turned Korea Into a Travel Destination
- Jeju Island: Where the Story Begins
- Yanggu, Gangwon: The North Korean Village
- Pocheon Hantan River Sky Bridge: "Switzerland" in Korea
- Yeongjongdo, Incheon: First Steps on Southern Soil
- Yeongwol & Binae Island: Paragliding and the Final Picnic
- Switzerland Locations: For the Complete Pilgrimage
- Your CLOY Korea Itinerary: Practical Guide
- FAQ: Crash Landing on You Filming Locations
The Drama That Turned Korea Into a Travel Destination
Before CLOY, Korean tourism already had K-drama tourism as a category. After CLOY, that category grew to an entirely different scale. The drama's combination of global Netflix distribution, a love story with universal emotional appeal, and filming locations spread across some of Korea's most photogenic regions created a tourism pipeline that Korean regional authorities are still benefiting from years later.
The numbers were extraordinary. The drama's finale pulled a 21.7% cable viewership rating — a record at the time. The series was watched in 190 countries. In Switzerland, the tourist surge to Iseltwald — the small lakeside village where Ri Jeong-hyeok's piano scene was filmed — became so intense that local residents had to impose visiting restrictions and entry fees on what had previously been a quiet fishing dock.
In Korea, the effect was distributed across multiple regions: Jeju, Gangwon, Gyeonggi, and Incheon all saw increased visitors specifically seeking drama locations. The visual range of CLOY — tropical forest, mountain village, DMZ-adjacent landscape, coast — meant the pilgrimage naturally spread across the country.
📍 Jeju Island: Where the Story Begins
The opening image of Crash Landing on You — Se-ri paragliding over a landscape before landing in a forest — was filmed entirely in Jeju. The "North Korean DMZ" in that first episode is actually one of Korea's most popular vacation islands.
한라산 국립공원 (Hallasan National Park) The crash-landing itself and several early forest scenes were filmed within or near Hallasan National Park, the UNESCO World Natural Heritage site centered on Korea's highest mountain (1,947m). The park's dense temperate forest — cedar, oak, subtropical undergrowth — creates the specific visual of deep, borderless wilderness that the drama needed for Se-ri's disoriented arrival.
아라동 역사문화길 (Aradong History and Culture Trail) Address: 27-11 Seondolmokdong-gil, Jeju-si, Jeju-do
This is the trail where Jeong-hyeok first encounters Se-ri in the forest — the scene where she falls from a tree directly into his arms. The specific large tree where Se-ri hung the medallion is visible from the first 4km of the trail, beginning at Gwaneum Temple in Aradong. Free access, no operating hours. The Gwaneum Temple parking lot is the recommended starting point.
치유의 숲 (Forest of Healing) Address: 2271 Sallongnam-ro, Seogwipo-si, Jeju-do Hours: April–October 8:00 AM – 4:00 PM
The scenes where Se-ri runs through the forest in panic were filmed here. The Forest of Healing is an actual wellness facility — a forest therapy center operated by the Korea Forest Service where meditative forest walks are the main activity. The drama's fleeing-in-fear scenes and the forest's actual peaceful purpose are a pleasant contrast. Entry fee applies; advance reservation recommended in high season.
📍 Yanggu, Gangwon: The North Korean Village
북한 마을 세트장 (North Korean Village), Yanggu-gun, Gangwon-do
The iconic village where Captain Ri's company five lives — the tightly-knit community of soldiers' wives, the narrow alleyways, the traditional houses — is located in Yanggu County, Gangwon Province, approximately three hours from Seoul. It was a purpose-built set, not an existing village, but it was constructed with such specificity to North Korean residential architecture that the result has become one of the most-photographed drama sets in Korea.
The village is open to the public as a filming location attraction. Visitors can walk the alleyways that Se-ri navigated, sit at the communal water pump, and photograph the houses where scenes of the drama's warmest moments were filmed — the village women gathered around food, the slow building of an unlikely community.
Yanggu itself is a mountainous county bordering the DMZ. The decision to film here was partly practical — the remote, enclosed valley landscape passes visually as a Northern rural area — and partly because of the proximity to the actual border, which gave the production a geographic authenticity that Gangnam's studio sets couldn't provide.
Access: Seoul to Yanggu by express bus (approximately 3 hours) or car via Expressway 60.
📍 Pocheon Hantan River Sky Bridge: "Switzerland" in Korea
한탄강 하늘다리 (Hantan River Sky Bridge), Pocheon, Gyeonggi-do
One of the drama's most romantic visual moments — Ri Jeong-hyeok at a European bridge, asking a stranger (who turns out to be Se-ri) to photograph him and Seo Dan — was not filmed in Switzerland. It was filmed here, at the Hantan River Sky Bridge in Pocheon, Gyeonggi Province.
The 200-meter suspension bridge crosses the Hantan River gorge at a height of 50 meters, with canyon views on both sides that genuinely read as Central European in the drama's context. The visual substitution works because the canyon's scale and the bridge's design create the Alpine vertigo the scene requires.
For visitors, the bridge is accessible and free, and Pocheon itself offers additional reasons to visit: Sanjeong Lake, Herb Island, and Art Valley are nearby attractions. The bridge's best photography hours are morning for light on the canyon walls.
Address: Hantan River Hantangang River Geopark, Pocheon-si, Gyeonggi-do Access: Bus from Seoul to Pocheon, approximately 1.5 hours.
📍 Yeongjongdo, Incheon: First Steps on Southern Soil
영종도 선녀바위 해변 (Yeongjongdo Seonnyeo Bawi Beach), Incheon
The scene where North Korean soldiers, including Ri Jeong-hyeok, emerge from an underground tunnel and take their first steps on South Korean soil was filmed at Seonnyeo Bawi Beach on Yeongjongdo Island — the same island where Incheon International Airport is located. The rocky coastal formations (seonnyeo bawi means "fairy rock") create a dramatic landing point visually very different from the manicured tourist beaches on the eastern side of the island.
The practical advantage: this location is directly accessible for visitors arriving or departing through Incheon Airport. A short detour before check-in or after arrival adds a CLOY location to what would otherwise be a transit experience.
📍 Yeongwol & Binae Island: Opening Scene and Final Picnic
별마로 천문대 (Byeolmaro Observatory), Yeongwol, Gangwon
The very first scene of the drama — Se-ri preparing to launch her paragliding test — was filmed at Byeolmaro Observatory in Yeongwol. The hilltop planetarium offers panoramic views across the Gangwon mountain landscape that the opening sequence uses as its establishing visual grammar. The observatory itself is a functioning stargazing facility, open evenings for telescope viewing.
비내섬 (Binae Island), Chungju, Chungcheongbuk-do
The quiet last picnic scene between Se-ri and Ri's company five was filmed on Binae Island, a small river island in the Namhan River near Chungju. The island is a popular camping destination for Korean families, accessible by a footbridge from the mainland. The gentle riverside meadow atmosphere of the scene comes directly from the island's actual character — unhurried, green, and separate from the mainland by just enough water to feel like its own world.
📍 Switzerland Locations: For the Complete Pilgrimage
The Swiss locations require a separate trip but are among the drama's most visually memorable:
이젤트발트 (Iseltwald), Lake Brienz — Ri Jeong-hyeok's piano scene, filmed at a lakeside dock in front of a private residence. Now charges an entry fee due to tourism pressure. The lake's turquoise Alpine color is not achievable in Korea.
시그리스빌 파노라마 다리 (Sigriswil Panorama Bridge) — where Ri Jeong-hyeok asks Se-ri to photograph him and Seo Dan. The bridge spans a deep gorge with views of the Bernese Alps.
그린델발트 퍼스트 플리거 (First Flieger), Grindelwald — aerial gliding attraction used in the drama's Swiss sequences.
Your CLOY Korea Itinerary: Practical Guide
Jeju Day (1–2 days): Aradong History and Culture Trail (morning, free) → Forest of Healing, Seogwipo (afternoon, reservation needed) → Hallasan National Park for landscape context (any time, multiple trail options)
Seoul-Area Day: Hantan River Sky Bridge, Pocheon (1.5 hours from Seoul) — combine with Pocheon Art Valley and Herb Island for a full day trip.
Gangwon Extension: Yanggu North Korean Village set (3 hours from Seoul) — best combined with a Gangwon overnight itinerary. Byeolmaro Observatory in Yeongwol is a 2-hour drive further.
Airport Detour: Yeongjongdo Seonnyeo Bawi Beach — accessible from Incheon Airport in 30–40 minutes. Add to any arrival or departure day.
FAQ: Crash Landing on You Filming Locations
Where was the North Korean village in CLOY filmed? The North Korean village was a purpose-built set in Yanggu County, Gangwon Province, approximately 3 hours from Seoul. It's now open as a tourist filming location. The choice of Yanggu was partly for its remote mountain valley landscape and partly for its proximity to the actual DMZ.
Was the forest in CLOY really in North Korea? No — all forest scenes were filmed on Jeju Island. The Aradong History and Culture Trail near Gwaneum Temple in Jeju City contains the specific tree where Se-ri hung the medallion. The Forest of Healing in Seogwipo was used for the running scenes.
Is the Switzerland bridge scene actually filmed in Switzerland? The bridge scene (where Ri Jeong-hyeok asks Se-ri to photograph him) was filmed at Hantan River Sky Bridge in Pocheon, Gyeonggi Province — not Switzerland. The Swiss locations used for other scenes include Iseltwald (piano scene) and Sigriswil Panorama Bridge.
How do I get to the Yanggu North Korean village set? Express bus from Seoul to Yanggu (approximately 3 hours) or car via Expressway 60. The village set is open to visitors; check Yanggu County tourism for current opening hours and admission.
Is the Jeju Forest of Healing accessible without a guide? The Forest of Healing operates as a managed facility. Advance reservation is recommended, particularly in the April–October peak season when daily visitor numbers are limited. Hours: April–October 8:00 AM–4:00 PM.
Which CLOY location is closest to Seoul? Hantan River Sky Bridge in Pocheon is the most accessible, approximately 1.5 hours from central Seoul by bus or car. Yeongjongdo Seonnyeo Bawi Beach is reachable in 30–40 minutes from Incheon Airport.
The Takeaway
What makes CLOY's Korea filming locations compelling as a travel itinerary isn't just drama nostalgia. It's the geographic range — from Jeju's subtropical forest to a Gangwon DMZ-border valley to a Gyeonggi canyon bridge — that the production assembled to tell one story. Following those locations across the country is, incidentally, an excellent way to see several of Korea's most distinct regional landscapes.
The love story happened everywhere. The pilgrimage goes everywhere too.
Which CLOY scene do you most want to stand in? Tell me in the comments.
Internal Links:
- K-Drama Locations #1: Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha
- K-Drama Locations #2: Goblin
- Jeju Island: Seongsan Ilchulbong Sunrise Peak Guide
- Korea DMZ Tour Guide
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