Crash Landing on You was one of Netflix's biggest hit shows of 2020.
The Korean drama tells the story of a South Korean heiress and a North Korean soldier who fall in love after she accidentally paraglides over the border and crashes into the neighbouring country. When the show aired, it was the third-highest rated programme in South Korean TV history, and that was before making its worldwide debut on Netflix, winning over fans around the globe.
While a love story, albeit a beautifully told one, is nothing new, it's the accurate and well-researched depiction of everyday life in North Korea – something rarely portrayed on screen – that has caught people's attention.
The experiences of Kwak Moon-wan, an assistant writer on the show, helped bring the story to life. Kwak defected from North Korea to South Korea in 2004, and has not looked back since. His rare insights and experiences from the closely guarded country helped him land a job on the show and, in turn, ensure its meticulous attention to detail.
"I lived half my life in North Korea [before] starting a second life in the South. In a way, I'm experiencing the world after the unification of the Korean Peninsula," he tells The National. "From that identity, I took it as my mission or a competitive edge to address some of the problems related to the peace and unification of the Korean Peninsula."
And it's that competitive edge that has helped Kwak gain recognition as a writer in the industry, as well as share his view of North Korea with the world.
Moving forward, he plans to focus on writing and help more shows bridge that gap when it comes to portraying the two countries, with the hopes that, perhaps, one day, the two may reunite.
"In the end, we need to go together", he says.
"My opinion is that it is North and South Korea themselves that should be the ones who decide. I believe if we have that common goal of unification and trying to understand each other, we'll yield good results – even if that takes generations."
It's Kwak's view that shows such as Crash Landing on You can help to highlight the everyday commonalities that both countries share.
"Characters like Chi-soo, Wol-suk and Young-ae make kimchi together and share it with others. These kinds of customs all Koreans have [and] could be key in opening up understanding and empathy –drama is a great tool to do that."
So after landing such a popular drama series, what's next? His follow-up project is a spy drama that takes place between the two sides. Unlike romantic comedy Crash Landing on You, a genre Kwak admits he finds difficult,the next feature tells the story of a "bromance".
"Korean dramas are very candid. They don't sugarcoat things. Lines are blunt and direct. I often say the beauty of Korean drama is the combination of candidness and dreams. I think that's why the world audience falls for them," he says.
"I wonder if [the next series] will get as much attention as Crash Landing on You, but I have hope."
How to improve Arabic reading in early years
One 45-minute class per week in Standard Arabic is not sufficient
The goal should be for grade 1 and 2 students to become fluent readers
Subjects like technology, social studies, science can be taught in later grades
Grade 1 curricula should include oral instruction in Standard Arabic
First graders must regularly practice individual letters and combinations
Time should be slotted in class to read longer passages in early grades
Improve the appearance of textbooks
Revision of curriculum should be undertaken as per research findings
Conjugations of most common verb forms should be taught
Systematic learning of Standard Arabic grammar
Breast cancer in men: the facts
1) Breast cancer is men is rare but can develop rapidly. It usually occurs in those over the ages of 60, but can occasionally affect younger men.
2) Symptoms can include a lump, discharge, swollen glands or a rash.
3) People with a history of cancer in the family can be more susceptible.
4) Treatments include surgery and chemotherapy but early diagnosis is the key.
5) Anyone concerned is urged to contact their doctor
Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
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Timeline
2012-2015
The company offers payments/bribes to win key contracts in the Middle East
May 2017
The UK SFO officially opens investigation into Petrofac’s use of agents, corruption, and potential bribery to secure contracts
September 2021
Petrofac pleads guilty to seven counts of failing to prevent bribery under the UK Bribery Act
October 2021
Court fines Petrofac £77 million for bribery. Former executive receives a two-year suspended sentence
December 2024
Petrofac enters into comprehensive restructuring to strengthen the financial position of the group
May 2025
The High Court of England and Wales approves the company’s restructuring plan
July 2025
The Court of Appeal issues a judgment challenging parts of the restructuring plan
August 2025
Petrofac issues a business update to execute the restructuring and confirms it will appeal the Court of Appeal decision
October 2025
Petrofac loses a major TenneT offshore wind contract worth €13 billion. Holding company files for administration in the UK. Petrofac delisted from the London Stock Exchange
November 2025
180 Petrofac employees laid off in the UAE
