Was ‘XO, Kitty’ filmed in Korea? The shows filming locations explained

The spin-off to the popular Netflix movie trilogy, To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before, follows Lara Jean Covey’s youngest sister, Kitty. The show, aptly titled XO, Kitty, showed the young woman setting off on her own romantic adventure, though it took her quite a bit further than that of Lara Jean’s. Kitty jets off all the way to South Korea to be with her long-distance boyfriend, Dae, but did Netflix actually shoot in South Korea?

XO, Kitty centers on the youngest of the Covey sisters. Having had both her older sisters move on with their lives, her oldest sister in London and Lara Jean having moved to New York for college, Kitty decides it is time for her to spread her wings. After discovering that her mother once spent some time studying at the Korean Independent School of Seoul (KISS), the same school where her long-distance boyfriend is studying, Kitty believes that the universe is giving her a sign.

She applies and is accepted, prompting her to quickly move across the world to begin her romantic adventure and to be with her true love, Dae, but things immediately get off to a rocky start. Moving across the world is tough for anyone, but in Seoul, Kitty finally gets to feel closer to the mother she barely knew and also to her own culture. Though KISS may be fictional, the other locations most certainly were not.

Apart from the beginning of the first episode, most of the first season was filmed in South Korea, mainly in the country’s capital, Seoul. Let’s have a look at some of the locations used in the show and see where they were filmed.

Incheon Airport

Whenever you first land in a country, your first impression is usually that of the airport. This explains why some airports are so stylish, and Incheon Airport is no different. Our first look at South Korea in the show is Kitty’s arrival which shows off the modern architecture of the location, which is bright and clean and even features a friendly-looking robot. This scene was shot at the actual site, though the final airport scenes were inside the Korea International Exhibition Center or KINTEX.

Korean Independent School of Seoul

Several locations made up the KISS campus, with inside shots being filmed in locations across the city. A lot of the exterior shots, though, are those of Kaywon University of Art and Design (계원예술대학교). The beautiful architecture of the University was on full display in the show, really showing off just how modern and cutting-edge KISS was.

Talent Show Hall

The end-of-season talent show was not shot in any of the above locations, but it was shot in a completely different place altogether, at the Independence Hall of Korea (독립기념관) in Cheonan, a city south of Seoul. Here we saw Kitty and her friends display a traditional Korean fan dance, only for the dance to get a little more fiery than they intended.

KISS Library

This location was used frequently in the series, where many students would head to study or get stuck in detention after they were caught partying the night before. The library was unlike most university libraries we are used to, with cool book cubbies and spiral staircases. This library is the National Library of Korea (국립세종도서관) in Sejong, another city south of Seoul. Talking to Tudum, actor Anthony Keyvan, who plays Q in the series, said of the library, “The library was so sick, I didn’t know a book place could look like this. It was so cool.” 

Yuri’s Trendy Boutique

When we are first introduced to Yuri’s character, we find her shopping in a rather fancy-looking boutique in the city center. This shop is called Stylenanda Pink Hotel and is located in Myeongdong, a prominent retail therapy location in Seoul. Because of its reputation for having some phenomenal shops, it is often bustling and many tourists also flock to buy up some of that Korean style.

KISS Welcome Party

At the end of the first episode, we see Kitty arriving at the school’s welcome party, hoping to surprise her boyfriend, Dae, and hopefully get her first kiss. This doesn’t exactly go to plan, but if you ignore the tripping over a cupcake table, the party itself is instead an elaborate one. Her big exit from the party at the beginning of episode two is shot at the Dongdaemun Design Plaza (동대문디자인플라자), a well-known landmark in the city. The Plaza contains parks, exhibition halls, stores, and a design museum and makes for a rather pretty filming location too!

Rubik

Another party venue we get to see in the show is that of Min Ho’s party at Club Rubik. It serves as an additional display of these wealthy teens flashing their cash, and the club is pretty decent. They break a few rules as they let loose, and, thanks to Kitty, they are discovered and face the consequences. The club’s name really is Rubik, and it is found in Paradise City (파라다이스시티), a massive resort complex. Though the show made it appear like a raving nightclub, in reality, it is a jazz lounge, so a little more on the chill side of things.

Han Hotel

Yuri’s father owns a rather large hotel empire, and often we see him conduct his business in these hotels, such as giving press conferences or yelling at the staff. According to Seventeen, three locations were used to make up these scenes: State Tower Namsan, Grand Hyatt Seoul, and Pacific Hotel. The first location was used for the exterior shots, while Yuri’s home was inside the Grand Hyatt, whose rooms can come with a hefty price tag — nothing less for the Han family. The Pacific Hotel was used for the press conference scene.

Hike Walk

Kitty and her friends head up the hill with Kitty hoping to spend more time with Dae away from his “girlfriend” Yuri. This hike is at Seojangdae, a historical command post at Mt. Paldalsan in Suwon. You can hike up to the top for some great views; just be a little more careful than Katty, and don’t trip over a tree branch unless you have someone there to catch you like Dae.

Food Market

When Kitty finds herself in need of doing a grocery run for Chuseok, she ends up in Hanaro Mart in Seoul. There are a few Hanaro Marts in the city, but this scene was shot in the Seoul Central Market. Here Kitty bumps into Min Ho, who, exasperated by her lack of Korean cooking knowledge, offers her a helping hand.

Camping

Kitty’s school trip takes place at Yeongheungdo Island, a great location to get away from the city and enjoy South Korea’s beautiful nature. The exact location is a glamping experience at Black Tree Campground. Here, the students work to help out the grandmother of the Korean idol Ocean Park (played by 2 PM rapper Taecyeon), whose garden was destroyed in a flood. The students spend less time helping and more time dealing with their romantic drama, though.

Riverside Walk

When Professor Alex Finnerty finally confronts Principal Lim about his past, the dramatic scene is only more emotional because of the beautiful backdrop. This takes place on Nodeul Island, right next to the Han River, which flows through Seoul; here, you can revel in the city’s skyline, and day or night is a beautiful spot for a jog, walk, or picnic.

So, there you go. If you liked watching XO, Kitty, and plan on visiting South Korea at any point, now you know where to head to feel like you’re a part of the series. South Korea has some stunning locations to visit in and out of its vibrant capital, and we may get to see some of these in the second series thanks to the show’s renewed!