Where Was XO, Kitty Actually Filmed?
"XO, Kitty" holds the distinction of being the first Netflix series to be spun off from a Netflix original film, in this case, the "To All the Boys I've Loved Before" series. However, this spin-off isn't content with repeating the steps of what's come before. Right from the start, it's apparent "XO, Kitty," which follows Kitty Song Covey (Anna Cathcart), who considers herself to be an expert matchmaker, will be a much different affair. For starters, it takes place in South Korea when Kitty travels there to connect with her long-distance boyfriend, Dae (Choi Min-young). It doesn't take long for her to realize that there's a big difference between giving romantic advice and applying it to one's own relationship.
But "XO, Kitty" also differentiates itself from "To All the Boys" by being set in Korea, and to the show's credit, it films at numerous locations throughout the country. For starters, the Korean Independent School of Seoul (KISS) may not be a real school, but according to Tudum, they actually did film at the Kaywon University of Art and Design for the school scenes. The exterior shots occurred around the campus, while the interior ones were done throughout Seoul. Meanwhile, the KISS Library was shot at the National Library of Seoul, Korea. It was an amazing location, as Anthony Keyvan, who plays Q, told Tudum, "I didn't know a book place could look like this. It was so cool."
And that's just the beginning of where the cast filmed throughout the 10 episodes of the show's first season.
Many famous Seoul landmarks appear throughout XO, Kitty
Any fans of "XO, Kitty" who plan on visiting Seoul any time soon should definitely check out some of the locales featured in the series. The show does an excellent job of depicting the city with numerous landmarks appearing. Even when the students aren't at KISS, they're galavanting around Seoul, seeing the sites from the first episode, when the kids have the KISS welcome party at the Dongdaemun Design Plaza. This is a major hub of the Dongdaemun neighborhood, featuring a design museum, retail stores, exhibition halls, and parks. The site appears again in Episode 2 during Kitty's dramatic departure.
There are plenty of other sites to take in just outside of the city. Viewers see some of the more scenic surroundings of Seoul in Episode 4 when the students go for a hike. They eventually reach a monument that was initially a military command post created in the 1700s. This occurs in Seojangdae, which is a historical landmark. When the students want to throw a raging party, they do it at Rubik inside Paradise City. While it comes across as a raucous party house in the show, it's actually a jazz lounge bar in real life.
And when the class goes on a camping trip, they go to Yeongheung Island. Anthony Keyvan told Tudum, "It was just like, 'Where are we right now? This is insane.'" There were ample gorgeous locations around the island, including a great spot next to the ocean where Madison (Jocelyn Shelfo) could meet K-pop sensation Ocean Park (Ok Taec-yeon). It sounds like the cast really got a good feel for the country while filming Netflix's "XO, Kitty," and hopefully, a second season will reveal even more beautiful spots.