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This is a detailed plot summary for the tvN drama Crash Landing on You.

Plot Summary

Yoon Se Ri (Son Ye Jin) is a South Korean chaebol heiress to the Queen’s Group. Born into a complicated family of wealth and greed, her existence threatens her half elder brothers and is disliked by her mother. Because of this, she left the family fortune and founded her own empire with an international fashion and beauty company: Se Ri's Choice. A woman of great business sense, she is a tough boss and known for her publicity stunts to gain media attention and sell her products. However, things would dramatically change for her.

Se Ri’s dad was just released from jail and can no longer run Queen’s Group. Because neither of his sons are competent in leadership and business, he decided to give chairmanship to Se Ri. Before Se Ri would take the reins as CEO of Queen’s Group, she already had an engagement to promote her extreme sports wear, featuring a new paragliding suit. Unfortunately, a cyclone happened and the storm blew her far up into Northern Korea (NK), where she’ll have a fated meeting with NK Captain Ri Jung Hyuk (Hyun Bin).

The heiress survived the cyclone and met Captain Ri; she quickly realized he’s a NK soldier and she’s far from home. Desperate to go home, Se Ri escaped capture from Jung Hyuk and his men. However, she accidentally made it to Captain Ri’s stationed village. Jung Hyuk wasn’t sure to turn her in and Se Ri threatened to report Jung Hyuk and his team’s failure to capture a woman to make them look bad; Captain Ri agreed to help Se Ri find a way to get home while she hides in his residence.

While Se Ri was missing in Seoul, her family conspired to consolidate their power. She has been MIA since the cyclone and presumed dead. Her brothers hoped she didn’t survive so they may inherit Queen’s Group unopposed. Se Ri’s own men have tried to look for her, but her elder half brother and his wife, Se Hyung (Park Hyung Soo) and Sang Ah (Yoon Ji Min), have done their best to convince their patriarch that she’s gone and that Se Hyung should lead. Without a proper leader, Mr. Yoon reluctantly gave chairmanship to Se Hyung. The couple would later learn about Se Ri’s true situation but kept it quiet to assume their seat in power. The family declared Se Ri legally dead while Se Hyung would try to prevent Se Ri from coming home.

In North Korea (NK), there has been a series of vehicular deaths that Captain Ri have been investigating as he believes it’s related to the death of his late elder brother. NK State Security Officer, Jo Chul Kang (Oh Man Suk), is in intelligence and has his own racket operation. He has been amassing political and financial power through illegal trading, currying favors, and getting rid of any evidence of his operation, including Captain’s Ri’s brother. Chul Kang’s cabal also helped smuggle in Koo Seung Jung (Kim Jung Hyun), a South Korean with British Nationality. Seung Jung stole millions from Queen’s Group and Se Hyung has been hunting him. Chul Kang’s men helped hide him in exchange for money, but things would change with Se Ri and Captain Ri getting involved.

Before Jung Hyuk could smuggle Se Ri back to Seoul, Chul Kang took advantage of a random search and found Se Ri hiding in his house. Jung Hyuk identified her as his fiancé and that she was part of the secret 11th Division, protecting her from full identification. While it saved Se Ri from being arrested, it exposed her to the village as Captain Ri’s surprise fiancé and the women of the village took great curiosity towards her. Eventually, Jung Hyuk made good on his promise and took her to a fisherman’s boat to smuggle her back to Seoul, but it was thwarted due to tightening on coastal patrol.

On their second attempt, Jung Hyuk asked his father for help. Using his connections, he was able to arrange a fake passport and have Se Ri pretend to be a backup player for a NK athletic team heading to Europe. The plan was for her to fly to Europe and she’ll fly back to SK on her own, but that was also thwarted. Chul Kang continued to spy on Jung Hyuk and looked into Se Ri’s credentials. He had Officer Jung Man Bok eavesdrop on Captain Ri’s home and learned Se Ri intends to leave. Chul Kang had his men stop Se Ri but Captain Ri intervened and saved her, but he was mortally wounded while shielding Se Ri from gun fire.

Se Ri had the chance to leave but decided to stay to save Captain Ri. She was able to save him through a blood transfusion, but she missed her exit. When Jung Hyuk awakened, he was angry at Se Ri for not taking the chance to escape, wasting all their effort. However, when he learned it was Se Ri that saved his life and he made her cry, the two reconciled. The two have been holding back their romantic feelings for each other for a while, but this life and death situation encouraged both to admit they love each other and began a relationship.

Seung Jung’s whereabouts were discovered and the very same men that he paid to protect him changed allegiances when Se Hyung offered to pay more. Se Hyung planned to get rid of Seung Jung until he proved Se Ri was alive in NK. In a change of plans, Se Hyung wanted Seung Jun to stop Se Ri from leaving. Se Ri is acquainted with Seung Jung and he convinced her that staying with Captain Ri would only bring him more trouble and she agreed to leave.

Jung Hyuk thought Se Ri was kidnapped and left to find her, but she pushed him away when he found her in Seung Jun’s residence. Realizing she pushed away an injured man in the middle of a snow storm, she went after him. They both survived the cold and made it back to his village and she tended to his recovery. Unfortunately, she was kidnapped by Captain Ri’s own father. Jung Hyuk’s true fiancé, Seo Dan, returned to NK and discovered Jung Hyuk was protecting Se Ri. Fearing for his future and their marriage, Dan told Director Ri of Jung Hyuk’s actions and he intervened. Jung Hyuk was forced to confront his father and was relieved to find Se Ri alive. The two shared a tender emotional moment and Director Ri was annoyed at the fact the two are in love.

To resolve this matter, Director Ri sent Se Ri and Jung Hyuk to the border of the DMZ. There was news of a deserter and border patrol was dispatched to search. Taking advantage of the situation, Captain Ri was sent to the front lines, under the guise to find the deserter. In reality, he’s secretly took Se Ri to an unsecured path where she can safely cross the DMZ and make it home. The two embraced each other for the last time and Se Ri finally made it home.

Back in Seoul, Sang Ah was preparing to take Se Ri’s Choice and merge it with Queen’s Group. However, Se Ri’s return put a stop to all of it. To everyone’s shock, Se Ri appeared during her own wake and announced her return. While Se Ri’s parents were happy she’s alive, the half-brothers were not and conspired against her. Se Ri was originally promised chairmanship of Queen’s Group and she wants it back but Se Hyung would team up with Chul Kang to prevent it.

After Se Ri left, Man Bok came to Captain Ri and told his past association with his brother and his death. Chul Kang blackmailed Man Bok (with his family) to feed him intelligence about Ri Moo Hyuk and murdered him. Moo Hyuk was investigating Chul Kang's racket and he alone had the evidence against Chul Kang and was killed for it. However, he secretly hidden a copy of the report in a watch that Man Bok recently recovered. To atone for his sins, Man Bok submitted this to Captain Ri and Jung Hyuk used it to arrest Chul Kang; he was found guilty for his crimes and sent to prison. However, Chul Kang still had friends and they helped him escape capture and he fled to Seoul to get revenge. Fearing for Se Ri’s life and wanting to arrest Chul Kang, Jung Hyuk secretly entered Seoul through an abandoned mine to find Se Ri. When Director Ri learned of this, he was worried and secretly dispatched his company and Man Bok to search and recover Captain Ri.

At Seoul, Se Ri enjoyed resuming her life but found herself longing for Jung Hyuk. To her surprise, Jung Hyuk appeared before her and the two caught up with each other. Se Ri now knows Chul Kang is somewhere out there and she arranged Jung Hyuk as her personal bodyguard. Captain Ri’s company would slip in as part of a NK athletic team in a friendly competition with the south. They had two weeks to locate Jung Hyuk and return to NK. However, Chul Kang complicated things.

Captain Ri and his men would eventually reunite and Se Ri took care of them, providing them with food, shelter, and money like family. Chul Kang infiltrated into Se Ri’s security and went after her, but Jung Hyuk protected her and Chul Kang escaped capture. Sang-A wanted to get rid of Se Ri for Se Hyung and gave Chul Kang resources to find Se Ri’s residence to capture her back to NK. Chul Kang found Man Bok and tried to blackmail him with his family again, but he betrayed Chul Kang. A massive group fight happened and the NK team dispatched them. Chul Kang tried to shoot and kill Captain Ri, but Se Ri drove her car into it and suffered a mortal wound. While Jung Hyuk tended to Se Ri, Chul Kang escaped capture but was injured fighting Jung Hyuk.

Se Ri was hospitalized but survived. Man Bok had bugged Se Ri’s bed to observe her situation from afar but also discovered details about her family. It was because of Man Bok, she played a recorded discussion that exposed the details of what Sang Ah and Se Hyung have been doing. Angered and disappointed, Mr. Yoon removed Se Hyung of his chairmanship and stripped him of all benefits to the Yoon family fortune. Se Hyung blamed Sang Ah for their situation but they still had one last card to play: exposing Se Ri’s NK activities.

While Se Ri was recovering, Jung Hyuk took this time to track down Chul Kang and found him; so did the National Intelligence Service (NIS). Sang Ah told NIS Chief Kim of Se Ri’s NK affiliations and Captain Ri; they tracked him to arrest Captain Ri and Chul Kang. Chul Kang couldn’t go back home without Jung Hyuk and Se Ri. He knew he lost and tried to get Jung Hyuk killed in a shootout between him and NIS, but Jung Hyuk evaded gunfire. Chul Kang died, but Captain Ri and his company were detained. Jung Hyuk took full responsibility and lied to NIS that he manipulated Se Ri for his gain. This would absolve Se Ri and his company of all potential crimes. However, other than the shoot out with Chul Kang, the NIS found no incriminating behavior and even offered amnesty to get settled in SK if they wanted to. Jung Hyuk and his men all declined and decided to return to NK.

Sang Ah’s plans to ruin Se Ri failed. Extenuating circumstances excused Se Ri of any major crimes but Jung Hyuk maintained he manipulated her to avoid further incrimination. Unfortunately, this upset Se Ri and the stress put her body into shock. She was dying from sepsis and Chief Kim allowed Jung Hyuk to watchover Se Ri until she woke up. In between, both NK and SK governments agreed to quietly release Jung Hyuk and his team back to NK under the conditions of a prisoner exchange. When Se Ri woke up, Jung Hyuk had to return home.

Se Ri was still bothered by what Jung Hyuk said about using her, but when her mother revealed his unwavering devotion during her most critical moments, she had to go see him one last time. It was while Jung Hyuk was getting arrested by NK soldiers that Jung Hyuk crossed back the border to embrace Se Ri one last time before heading back to NK. Once back home, a military director tried to kill Jung Hyuk and his men. Chul Kang was supported by the military director and he wanted to kill everyone to remove all loose ends. However, Director Ri arrived and killed his rival and his men. With all opposition out of the way, Jung Hyuk returned home.

In between Captain Ri’s departure, Seo Dan would sulk over the fact Jung Hyuk left her for Se Ri. Seung Jung liked Seo Dan and was there to nurse her heart and the two fell in love with each other. Unfortunately, the gang affiliated with Chul Kang wants their revenge on Seung Jung. Seo Dan helped Seung Jung hide in her apartment for a while, but he was discovered and intended to escape NK and return to Europe. While hiding in Captain Ri’s home, Seung Jung confessed his feelings for Dan and gave her a diamond ring as a parting gift. Unfortunately, Dan was kidnapped by the gang and they demanded Seung Jung to come see them. He gave up his chance to escape and saved Dan but he was mortally wounded and died from a gun wound. Unwilling to allow Seung Jung die in vain, she used her connections with her uncle (General Ko) to find the men responsible and informed Se Ri about her brother’s connection as well. This would eventually make it to Chief Kim’s attention and both Se Hyung and Sang Ah were arrested and jailed. All opposition against Se Ri are now gone.

Before Jung Hyuk left, he programmed a series of text msgs for Se Ri to read. He taught her to lead a better lifestyle and to enjoy life with the people around her. Se Ri’s tough boss image dropped and she became a nicer and generous CEO to the people under her. One day while paragliding through Switzerland, she found Jung Hyuk in front of her. He has since been discharged from the military and has come to Switzerland to represent NK as a pianist. This would become a path where both can be together.

Three years later, Se Hyung remains in jail and filed for divorce with Sang Ah. Se Ri continues managing both Queen’s Group and Se Ri’s Choice. In NK, Man-bok has left the intelligence life and became a sound engineer. Captain Ri’s men continue to miss Se Ri and found an appreciation for SK products. Seo Dan cancelled her engagement with Jung Hyuk and intends to continue her musical career. Se Ri has since founded a musical scholarship program that supports underprivileged children in Switzerland. Every year, she takes a two week vacation to Switzerland to observe the progress of her scholarship but also spend that time with Jung Hyuk. The story ends with two finding love and happiness in Switzerland. --wikipedia