Traveling Through Korea in a Fresh New Way with “XO, Kitty”: The Korean Places Inside “XO, Kitty”

When you start each day by riding the “hell train” in the morning and crossing the colorless concrete jungle from one place to another, living through days that feel utterly lifeless can suddenly make you crave a fantasy to escape reality. What if the same ordinary street you walk every day is, for someone else, the setting for a heart-racing romance?

That’s exactly where 〈XO, Kitty〉(XO, Kitty) fits in—through a story that injects fantasy into your exhausted life in Korea. It’s a Netflix series, a spin-off of the Netflix teen romance hit movie 〈To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before〉—set in Korea. In the drama, the protagonist Kitty (Anna Cathcart) attends an international high school in Korea and navigates her “Seoul study-abroad life.” After 〈XO, Kitty〉 Season 3 premiered on April 2, it claimed the No. 1 spot globally in the Netflix TV category. Meanwhile, in Korea it didn’t even break into the Top 10, creating a clear gap between what global viewers see in 〈XO, Kitty〉 and what Korean audiences see in 〈XO, Kitty〉. And that tracks, because just like 〈Emily in Paris〉 is a series that showcases a fantasy version of Paris, 〈XO, Kitty〉 also focuses purely on a fantasy Korea. Even if the Korea depicted in 〈XO, Kitty〉 is a little far from real life, does it really matter? Sometimes office workers who’ve lost their spark need a teen-romance-filter kind of fantasy—pink, dreamy, and exactly the kind that lets them forget how hard real life can be. So, from 〈XO, Kitty〉’s perspective, here are familiar yet unfamiliar places in Korea, reimagined for the screen.

A teen utopia that even pulls in campus ghosts: “KISS”

- Places like Gyewon Arts University, Sangmyung University’s Cheonan Campus, the National Sejong Library, and more

The prestigious “Korean International School (KISS)”—the drama’s main setting and where Kitty’s study-abroad life unfolds—doesn’t exist in real life. The production team carefully pieced together architecture and campuses from across Korea to build a fictional space. The framework of the grand, stylish outdoor campus was drawn from Gangsanjae, a Korean-style hotel at Gyewon Art University in Uiwang, Gyeonggi-do. Then, as the show moved into Season 2, Hanuri Hall and the athletic grounds at Sangmyung University’s Cheonan Campus in Cheonan, Chungcheongnam-do, along with the nearby Cheonan Sports Complex, were added as new main locations. In addition, the auditorium where major school events are held was filmed at Cheonan Independence Hall, and the dazzling traditional charm of the Season 2 finale stage was completed in the Sabi Palace set at Baekje Cultural Land in Buyeo, Chungcheongnam-do. Meanwhile, the library scenes for KISS were shot at the National Sejong Library in Sejong City.

That “rich-kid, all-out” party energy

- DDP, Paradise City, and more

As you’d expect from a school full of chaebol heirs and global elites, the party scale is another level, too. In the first episode of Season 1, the freshmen welcome party was held at DDP (Dongdaemun Design Plaza), a landmark that looks like a spaceship. DDP’s sleek, streamlined exterior and its nighttime lighting keep reappearing as a backdrop—showing the drama’s “a night that feels like Seoul” vibe all the way through Season 3.

On the other hand, the club-party hangout—where they sneak out of the dorms for a luxurious, rebellious little escape—was the lounge bar “Rubic” inside the Paradise City resort on Yeongjongdo. In the drama, it’s described like a loud club packed with music, but in real life it’s actually a fairly calm jazz lounge bar.

Was K-drama romance this cinematic? From a snow-covered hanok to a camping getaway

- Hongcheon, Gangsanjae; Pyeongchang Alpensia; Hwaseong Seo Jangdae; Incheon Yeongheungdo

The ski cabin scene in Season 2, where Minho (Lee Sang-heon) invites his friends, was filmed at Gangsanjae, a hanok hotel in Hongcheon, Gangwon-do. Both exterior and interior scenes were shot there. The background shown as Minho’s family ski resort is Alpensia Ski Resort, located in Pyeongchang-gun.

And the place where they climbed the hill after sweating it out during outdoor club activities with friends was Hwaseong Seo Jangdae in Suwon. Meanwhile, the forest scenery of Yeongheungdo in Incheon—where they pitched tents and enjoyed camping—captures the natural friendship of young people, far removed from the city’s hustle.

A one-stop “K-roco” cliché gift set! From Namsan’s love locks to Seongsu-dong’s hotspots

- Namsan Tower, Seongsu-dong, Banpo Bridge, Lotte World, and more

If you want to imitate a K-drama, you can’t skip the staples that always show up. Classic date spots appear as key set pieces in 〈XO, Kitty〉, including N Seoul Tower on Namsan—where love locks fill the wall—and the ice rink at Lotte World, where you hold hands and skate under a domed ceiling. What’s more, in front of the Banpo Bridge Moonlight Rainbow Fountain—where violet lights scatter into the sky—their first kiss takes place. And the grassy area at Nodulseom, a complex cultural space, becomes a hideout for young people to let everything out.

As the seasons go on, more trendy spots across Seoul pop up again and again. In Seasons 2 and 3, you’ll see Seongsu-dong Yeonmuangjang-gil, a representative Seoul hotspot, as well as Common Ground, a blue container complex cultural space near Konkuk University Station. However, the drama isn’t only chasing Korea’s glamorous side. In a scene where Kitty goes to shop for ingredients for Chuseok, she visits Hanaro Mart—not a sleek, large department store food hall.

Kitty and friends’ Busan day trip

- Haeundae Market, Songdo Marine Cable Car, Gamcheon Culture Village, and more

By Season 3, the characters’ locations expand beyond the Seoul metropolitan area into Busan, South Korea’s second city. The dazzling yacht-on-deck party that opens Season 3 was filmed near Gwangan Bridge. In addition, the Songdo Marine Cable Car that stretches over the sea, the Songdo Cloud Walkway where waves roll right beneath their feet, and Yongho-byulbit Park all do an excellent job of visually reinforcing the romantic atmosphere between Kitty and Minho. There are also scenes of Kitty and her friends eating seed-shaped hotteok at Haeundae Market and taking photos at Gamcheon Culture Village. In particular, the scene where Kitty and her friends make custom key rings at Haeundae Market shows how quickly 〈XO, Kitty〉 has blended even Korea’s newest consumer trends into the drama.