The Emotional Longing for a Unified Korean Peninsula (spoiler alert!)

Since the end of World War II, the division of the Korean Peninsula has been fraught with emotional struggles, both political and personal. The longing for reunification is still part of South Korea’s government policy, and it is a topic that is obliquely addressed in the South Korean series dramas Crash Landing on You (사랑의 불시착, tvN, 2019) and The King: Eternal Monarch ( 더 킹: 영원의 군주, SBS, 2020). Without always addressing the overt politics of the time, these shows still manage to convey the emotional longing for reunification, the fleeting possibilities of these connections, and the ultimate disappointment at their unsatisfactory endings.

 

Promotional image for Crash Landing on You. Photo from tvN. Reproduced under Fair Use for educational purposes.

The contemporary romantic drama Crash Landing on You follows the story of Yoon Se-ri, a South Korean chaebol heiress and CEO of Seri’s Choice line of fashion, who finds herself crash-landing in the demilitarized zone (DMZ) between North and South Korea after a storm hits while she is paragliding. She is discovered by North Korean Officer Captain Ri Jeong-hyeok, who decides to hide and protect her from the North Korean Security Bureau, leading to their eventual love story. Crossing borders takes a very literal meaning here, as Yoon Se-ri finds herself in North Korea, highlighting the political tensions between the two countries. Yoon Se-ri attempts to go back to South Korea by sea, air, and finally by land, with reunification constantly being discussed as she makes promises of gifts to her protectors upon the reunification of the peninsula. 

Promotional Poster for The King: Eternal Monarch. Photo from SBS. Reproduced under Fair Use for educational purposes.

In contrast, The King: Eternal Monarch (2020) is a romantic science fiction series that is set in two parallel universes. The story focuses on Emperor Lee Gon of the fictional Kingdom of Corea, who accesses a portal to the modern-day Republic of Korea using the Manpasikjeok (만파식적) – a magical flute which, when whole, provides peace and prosperity to the nation – but Lee Gon only possesses half of the flute, with the other half being held by his half-uncle Lee Lim, who seeks to cause terror in both universes. While traversing the two universes, Lee Gon encounters South Korean police officer Lieutenant Jeong Tae-eul, with whom he develops a romantic relationship as they work together to end Lee Lim’s destruction. Crossing borders takes on a different meaning in this series, with Lee Gon frequently referencing Alice in Wonderland as he is represented more as ‘falling down the rabbit hole,’ traversing these absurd realities just as Alice did in Alice in Wonderland. Here the drama uses both a familiar western story and a Korean folktale of the mythical flute as grounding devices for the journey between universes.

But all is not lost; there is hope, which is represented through various symbols in The King: Eternal Monarch. Viewers can see the alternative possibilities of a unified peninsula as Lieutenant Jeong travels by train through the northern region of the Kingdom of Corea, an area which is off limits in her universe. She sees news of rare earth minerals that bring prosperity to this version of Corea.  She is able to observe and dream of alternative possibilities. 

 

Azaleas: A book of poems by Kim Sowol, translated by David R. McCann. Photo from Columbia University Press. Reproduced under Fair Use for educational purposes.

 

Hope is also portrayed through the poetry of South Korean poet  Kim So-Wol and his book Azaleas (진달래꽃). The book is introduced in episode three with the poem “The Stream,” which is read in episode twelve. The work of Kim So-Wol, a well-known poet from the early modern era, captures the nature of how fleeting hope can be when it comes to reunification between North and South Korea – yet it still manages to remain possible to hope that one day love and reunification can be achieved.

Here is a translation of the poem “The Stream” (taken from Netflix’s English subtitles):

You were sitting alone by the stream
The green grass was sprouting
And the water was splashing from the spring breeze
You promised that even if you go, you won’t be gone forever
That is what you promised
I sit by the stream each day and think about something endlessly
When you promised that even if you go, you won’t be gone forever
Were you asking me not to forget you?

 

Promotional image for Crash Landing on You. Photo from tvN. Reproduced under Fair Use for educational purposes.

In contrast, the underlying hope represented in Crash Landing on You is that Captain Ri and his soldiers could defect to South Korea; however, this remains mostly unspoken between them until near the end, when it becomes clear that it will not be possible after all. 

 

Promotional Poster for The King: Eternal Monarch. Photo from SBS. Reproduced under Fair Use for educational purposes.

Promotional image for Crash Landing on You. Photo from tvN. Reproduced under Fair Use for educational purposes.

Both series close with what appears to be a happy ending, but the couples’ unions are bittersweet. When it comes to the relationship between Lieutenant Jeong and Emperor Lee Gon in The King: Eternal Monarch, this remains an impossibility due to each of them having to live in alternative universes. They continue their relationship through the liminal spaces they can visit using the portal that allows crossing between universes, never able to commit to one universe. In Crash Landing on You, the very real notion of Yoon Se-ri and Captain Ri Jeong-hyeok becoming a couple is not possible due to the political divisions in their countries. As a result, couples like Yoon Se-ri and Capain Ri can only meet up in neutral countries such as Switzerland instead.

It’s clear that both series show the viewer how emotionally charged reunification can be while simultaneously demonstrating its ultimate unsatisfactory ending due to its impossibilities within Korea’s current reality. Through these shows, viewers gain insight into how people may feel when faced with such an emotive topic - making them interesting examples through which people can explore their feelings surrounding reunification today.