
Swiss village cashes in as tourists pay to visit dock featured in hit K-drama 'Crash Landing On You'
By JAMEY KEATEN
A Swiss village has cashed in on a pay-for-entry turnstile used by avid tourists who flock each day to a lakeside dock featured in the hit South Korean Netflix series 'Crash Landing On You,' often to snap souvenir photos.
Local leaders in Iseltwald and tourism officials insist the village's 406 inhabitants aren't getting rich off the influx of visitors, who pay 5 Swiss francs ($6.30) to access the dock. In 2024, entries brought in nearly 245,000 francs ($307,000), while a one-franc public pay toilet collected about 58,000 francs more, said village clerk Gabriela Blatter.
Proceeds have gone mostly to garbage disposal, restroom cleaning, additional work hours and custodial staff hires, she said.
Titia Weiland, manager of the Bönigen-Iseltwald Tourism agency, said the funds go right back to village upkeep: 'It's not correct to read it as 'the community gets rich',' alluding to some comments along those lines in the media and online.
The village, situated along a small peninsula that juts out into Lake Brienz, features majestic views of Alpine peaks over the water.
An episode in early 2020 of the cross-border Korean love story spotlighted the dock as a romantic getaway. That sparked online hype among fans of the series across Asia and beyond, which hasn't let up, fueling the rush of tourism to Iseltwald.
The continued influx has exposed growing pains for the Swiss village, like those faced by other tourist hotspots that get too much of a good thing.
Part of the problem is infrastructure: Iseltwald has three hotels and four restaurants, not enough for about 1,000 visitors who arrive by tour bus, public bus and car each day on average, according to Blatter. The village is revamping a parking lot to help cope with the strain, and the only village store now operates 7 days a week. Previously, it was open Monday to Friday.
'There were always tourists in Iseltwald. We are happy with them. The problem is that the tourists don't understand what's private and what's public," Blatter said, adding that some traipse through private yards and gardens. 'They go everywhere.'
For months, fans of the series could visit the dock for free until the turnstile was put up in 2023 to help offset costs incurred by the local government.
Not long ago, Weiland said, 'we were wishing for more tourists in Iseltwald: In some ways, we are thankful ... but it can be extreme.' Villagers who hosted the crews for on-site filming at the dock had no idea the series would become such a runaway success, she said.
The village has a website devoted to the 'filming location" of the series that lists transportation options and entreats visitors to respect the dock, refrain from littering, and consider the 'quiet atmosphere of this authentic Swiss village' by keeping noise down and avoiding private property.
'Enjoy your stay in beautiful Iseltwald and take with you memories to your home country!' the site says.
© Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Japan Today
4 days ago
- Japan Today
North Korean defectors make debut in new K-pop boy band
Members of K-pop boy band 1VERSE, including Hyuk and Seok who defected from North Korea, as well as Aito, Nathan and Kenny, perform their new single in front of a camera in Seoul, South Korea, May 21, 2025. REUTERS/Kim Soo-hyeon By Hyun Young Yi and Hyunsu Yim A new K-pop boy band made their global debut on Friday with two members who defected from North Korea and an album that includes a song about the consequences of escaping one of the world's most repressive states. 1VERSE, pronounced "universe", is made up of five men in their 20s from North Korea, Japan and the United States, who go by their first names, Hyuk, Seok, Aito, Nathan, and Kenny. At midnight, the group performed a live-streamed showcase of their first EP "The 1st Verse" featuring three tracks, including the debut single "Shattered". A video to accompany the song will drop later on Friday. Recorded earlier this year, it shows the group sporting make-up and slick hairstyles, dancing against a stroboscopic background. Yu Hyuk, originally from the northeastern county of Kyongsong in North Korea, has been living in South Korea since 2013. As well as enjoying the freedom to show off his talent to the world, the 25-year-old also appreciates being able to eat three meals a day. In North Korea, he started work at the age of nine and said he was sometimes forced into desperate measures to get food, eating spoiled rice or worse, and resorting to theft. "After I was caught stealing, I was beaten hard until I was bleeding. I was really hungry and instinctively I was thinking about survival," he told Reuters at the group's studio in the South Korean capital. North Korea has stepped up control over people's lives since the COVID-19 pandemic when all borders were sealed, and abuses such as executions, forced labour and reports of starvation continue, a U.N. official investigating rights in the isolated state told Reuters last month. Hyuk escaped North Korea as a child - fleeing to China and then across other international borders with the help of a broker arranged by his mother, who was already in South Korea. While he is happy with his new life, he recalls that it was a wrench to leave his home. "I was hungry and tired, but I was happy surrounded by the people I like which made it tougher for me to want to come here at first," he said. The song "Shattered" encapsulates his feelings when he learned about the death of his father in North Korea, he said. Kim Seok, the other North Korean defector in the group and also 25, used to live in a border town near China. He was exposed to K-pop by a friend who shared music videos on a portable media player, including Psy's 2012 smash "Gangnam Style". Seok escaped with his father and grandmother when he was 20 years old. Recent reports have suggested that Pyongyang is stepping up its crackdown on the consumption of South Korean culture, including a case where teenagers were sentenced to hard labour for watching K-pop, as well as suppressing South Korean speaking styles. Michelle Cho, producer and CEO of 1VERSE's label Singing Beetle, said she wanted to create a more authentic group in an industry often seen as picture-perfect. "Who doesn't love the story of someone from a humble background chasing their dreams, especially K-pop," she said. Despite their diverse backgrounds, the bandmates said they had plenty in common. "I mean isn't it fun? Like our group is just a unique type of global," said Kenny, who is Chinese American. While the group has drawn attention for having North Korean defectors, Hyuk hopes they will be judged by the quality of their work. "I want to become an idol that brings energy and the message that cheers up many people, that they aren't alone and there are even people like me." © Thomson Reuters 2025.


Asahi Shimbun
5 days ago
- Asahi Shimbun
North Korean defectors make debut in new K-pop boy band
Members of K-pop boy band 1VERSE, including Hyuk and Seok who defected from North Korea, as well as Aito, Nathan and Kenny, perform their new single in front of a camera in Seoul, South Korea, May 21, 2025. (REUTERS) SEOUL--A new K-pop boy band made their global debut on Friday with two members who defected from North Korea and an album that includes a song about the consequences of escaping one of the world's most repressive states. 1VERSE, pronounced 'universe', is made up of five men in their 20s from North Korea, Japan and the United States, who go by their first names, Hyuk, Seok, Aito, Nathan, and Kenny. At midnight, the group performed a live-streamed showcase of their first EP 'The 1st Verse' featuring three tracks, including the debut single 'Shattered.' A video to accompany the song will drop later on Friday. Recorded earlier this year, it shows the group sporting make-up and slick hairstyles, dancing against a stroboscopic background. Yu Hyuk, originally from the northeastern county of Kyongsong in North Korea, has been living in South Korea since 2013. As well as enjoying the freedom to show off his talent to the world, the 25-year-old also appreciates being able to eat three meals a day. In North Korea, he started work at the age of nine and said he was sometimes forced into desperate measures to get food, eating spoiled rice or worse, and resorting to theft. 'After I was caught stealing, I was beaten hard until I was bleeding. I was really hungry and instinctively I was thinking about survival,' he told Reuters at the group's studio in the South Korean capital. North Korea has stepped up control over people's lives since the COVID-19 pandemic when all borders were sealed, and abuses such as executions, forced labor and reports of starvation continue, a U.N. official investigating rights in the isolated state told Reuters last month. Hyuk escaped North Korea as a child - fleeing to China and then across other international borders with the help of a broker arranged by his mother, who was already in South Korea. While he is happy with his new life, he recalls that it was a wrench to leave his home. 'I was hungry and tired, but I was happy surrounded by the people I like which made it tougher for me to want to come here at first,' he said. The song 'Shattered' encapsulates his feelings when he learned about the death of his father in North Korea, he said. Kim Seok, the other North Korean defector in the group and also 25, used to live in a border town near China. He was exposed to K-pop by a friend who shared music videos on a portable media player, including Psy's 2012 smash 'Gangnam Style.' Seok escaped with his father and grandmother when he was 20 years old. Recent reports have suggested that Pyongyang is stepping up its crackdown on the consumption of South Korean culture, including a case where teenagers were sentenced to hard labor for watching K-pop, as well as suppressing South Korean speaking styles. Michelle Cho, producer and CEO of 1VERSE's label Singing Beetle, said she wanted to create a more authentic group in an industry often seen as picture-perfect. 'Who doesn't love the story of someone from a humble background chasing their dreams, especially K-pop,' she said. Despite their diverse backgrounds, the bandmates said they had plenty in common. 'I mean isn't it fun? Like our group is just a unique type of global,' said Kenny, who is Chinese American. While the group has drawn attention for having North Korean defectors, Hyuk hopes they will be judged by the quality of their work. 'I want to become an idol that brings energy and the message that cheers up many people, that they aren't alone and there are even people like me.'


Yomiuri Shimbun
5 days ago
- Yomiuri Shimbun
North Korean Defectors Make Debut in New K-pop Boy Band
SEOUL (Reuters) — A new K-pop boy bandmade their global debut on Friday with two members who defected from North Korea and an album that includes a song about the consequences of escaping one of the world's most repressive states. 1VERSE, pronounced 'universe,' is made up of five men in their 20s from North Korea, Japan and the United States, who go by their first names, Hyuk, Seok, Aito, Nathan, and Kenny. At midnight, the group performed a live-streamed showcase of their first EP 'The 1st Verse' featuring three tracks, including the debut single 'Shattered.' A video to accompany the song will drop later on Friday. Recorded earlier this year, it shows the group sporting make-up and slick hairstyles, dancing against a stroboscopic background. Yu Hyuk, originally from the northeastern county of Kyongsong in North Korea, has been living in South Korea since 2013. As well as enjoying the freedom to show off his talent to the world, the 25-year-old also appreciates being able to eat three meals a day. In North Korea, he started work at the age of nine and said he was sometimes forced into desperate measures to get food, eating spoiled rice or worse, and resorting to theft. After I was caught stealing, I was beaten hard until I was bleeding. I was really hungry and instinctively I was thinking about survival, he told Reuters at the group's studio in the South Korean capital. North Korea has stepped up control over people's lives since the COVID-19 pandemic when all borders were sealed, and abuses such as executions, forced labour and reports of starvation continue, a U.N. official investigating rights in the isolated state told Reuters last month. Hyuk escaped North Korea as a child – fleeing to China and then across other international borders with the help of a broker arranged by his mother, who was already in South Korea. While he is happy with his new life, he recalls that it was a wrench to leave his home. I was hungry and tired, but I was happy surrounded by the people I like which made it tougher for me to want to come here at first, he said. The song 'Shattered' encapsulates his feelings when he learned about the death of his father in North Korea, he said. Kim Seok, the other North Korean defector in the group and also 25, used to live in a border town near China. He was exposed to K-pop by a friend who shared music videos on a portable media player, including Psy's 2012 smash 'Gangnam Style.' Seok escaped with his father and grandmother when he was 20 years old. Recent reports have suggested that Pyongyang is stepping up its crackdown on the consumption of South Korean culture, including a case where teenagers were sentenced to hard labour for watching K-pop, as well as suppressing South Korean speaking styles. Michelle Cho, producer and CEO of 1VERSE's label Singing Beetle, said she wanted to create a more authentic group in an industry often seen as picture-perfect. Who doesn't love the story of someone from a humble background chasing their dreams, especially K-pop, she said. Despite their diverse backgrounds, the bandmates said they had plenty in common. I mean isn't it fun? Like our group is just a unique type of global, said Kenny, who is Chinese American. While the group has drawn attention for having North Korean defectors, Hyuk hopes they will be judged by the quality of their work. I want to become an idol that brings energy and the message that cheers up many people, that they aren't alone and there are even people like me.