When Life Gives You Tangerines

Main

• IU as Oh Ae-sun, the main female character and Gwan-sik's love interest, girlfriend and later wife, and as Yang Geum-myeong, the eldest child and only daughter of Ae-sun and Gwan-sik.^[3]

• Moon So-ri as middle age Ae-sun^[3]
• Yoon Seo-yeon as teen Ae-sun^[4]
• Kim Tae-yeon as child Ae-sun^[4]
• Shin Chae-rin as child Yang Geum-myeong (4–7 years old)^[5]
• Ahn Tae-rin as child Yang Geum-myeong (7–10 years old)^[6][7]
• Lee A-ra as child Yang Geum-myeong (10–12 years old)^[7]

• Park Bo-gum as Yang Gwan-sik, the main male character and Ae-sun's love interest, boyfriend and later husband.^[8]

• Park Hae-joon as middle age Gwan-sik^[4]
• Lee Cheon-mu as child Gwan-sik^[4]
• Moon Woo-jin as teen Gwan-sik^[4]

Supporting

• Kim Yong-rim as Park Mak-cheon^[9] Gwan-sik's grandmother who is a shaman
• Na Moon-hee as Kim Chun-ok,^[9] Ae-sun's paternal grandmother
• Yeom Hye-ran as Jeon Gwang-rye,^[10][11] Ae-sun's mother who is a haenyeo, and as chief editor Chloe H. Lee in a brief cameo appearance in episode 16
• Oh Min-ae as Kwon Gye-ok,^[11] Gwan-sik's mother
• Cha Mi-kyung as Park Chung-su,^[11] a haenyeo
• Lee Soo-mi as Choi Yang-im,^[11] a haenyeo
• Baek Ji-won as Hong Kyung-ja,^[11] a haenyeo
• Jung Hae-kyun as Oh Han-moo,^[11] Ae-sun's paternal uncle
• Choi Dae-hoon as Bu Sang-gil,^[12] a rich fishing captain
• Kang You-seok as Yang Eun-myeong,^[13] Ae-sun and Gwan-sik's son
• Oh Yeon-jae as Hyeon Yi-sook,^[14] Han-moo's wife and Ae-sun's aunt
• Yoo Byung-hoon as Yang Sam-bo,^[14] Gwan-sik's father
• Shin Sae-byeok as Yang Dong-myeong,^[15] Ae-sun and Gwan-sik's son
• Jang Hye-jin as Yeong-ran,^[16] Bu Sang-gil's wife

• Chae Seo-an as younger Yeong-ran^[17]

• Lee Soo-kyung as Bu Hyeon-suk,^[18] Sang-gil and Yeong-ran's daughter
• Moon Yu-gang as Bu Seong-yi,^[19] Bu Sang-gil's eldest son
• Seo Hye-won as Yang Gyeong-ok,^[20] Gwan-sik's sister
• Jung Yi-seo as Song Bu-seon, Chung-seop's girlfriend^[21]
• Lee Jun-young as Park Yeong-bum,^[22] Geum-myeong's first love
• Kang Myung-joo as Yoo Bu-young,^[23] Park Yeong-bum's mother
• Lee Gyu-hoe as Park Geum-myeong,^[14] Park Yeong-bum's father
• Lee Ji-hyun as Bun-hui,^[24] Chung-seop's mother
• Park Byung-ho as Harbang,^[25] Ae-sun and Gwan-sik's elderly landlord, co-owner of Dodong-ri Manmul Center
• Song Kwang-ja as Halmang,^[25] Ae-sun and Gwan-sik's elderly landlady, co-owner of Dodong-ri Manmul Center
• Hwang Jae-yeol as Ae-sun's school teacher^[26]
• Kim So-yeon as Min-seon,^[27] Geum-myeong's friend in the film club
• Kim Gye-rim as Ju-kyung,^[28] Geum-myeong's friend in the film club
• Pyo Young-seo as Oh Ye-rim,^[29] Geum-myeong's friend in the film club

Guest appearances

• Oh Jung-se as Yeom Byeong-cheol,^[30] Ae-sun's stepfather
• Uhm Ji-won as Na Min-ok,^[31] Byeong-cheol's second wife
• Lee Mi-do as Mi-sook,^[32] owner of a fortune teller shop
• Kim Seon-ho as Park Chung-seop,^[33] Geum-myeong's husband
• Kim Hae-gon as Kim Hae-bong,^[31][34] CEO of the Cannes Theater
• Kang Mal-geum as Geumja,^[35] Nampojang motel co-owner
• Kim Young-woong as Geumja's husband,^[36] Nampojang motel co-owner
• Kim Gook-hee as Jeon Ae-kyung,^[37] Geum-myeong's professor at Seoul National University
• Kim Su-an as Oh Jenny,^[38] Geum-myeong's tutee
• Kim Jae-young as Jenny's chauffeur^[39]
• Kim Geum-soon as Mi-hyang^[40]
• Nam Mi-jung as Mi-hyang's housekeeper^[41]
• Jeon Bae-soo as Song Yeong-sam,^[42] Geum-myeong's boarding house owner
• Kim Sung-ryung as Jeong Mi-in,^[43] an actress
• Lee Bong-ryun as a nurse^[44]
• Hyun Bong-sik as Mi-in's manager^[14]
• Kim Kang-hoon as Yang Je-il,^[45] Eun-myeong's and Hyeon-suk's eldest son / Ae-sun and Gwan-sik's grandson

Development

The series was developed under the working title Insaeng (인생; 'Life'). The series was produced by Pan Entertainment and was helmed by director Kim Won-seok,^[46] and the script was penned by Lim Sang-choon, marking her return after writing the 2019 KBS drama When the Camellia Blooms. In December 2022, production designer Ryu Seong-hie acknowledged her involvement in the project.^[47] The production cost is reported to be around ₩60 billion.^[48][49]

The official Korean title Pokssak Sogatsuda (폭싹 속았수다) was revealed on January 27, 2023. The title is a Jeju language verb for "thank you for your hard work".^[49] In Jeju language, sokda (속다), which forms a part of sogatsuda (속았수다), means "trying hard", "taking the trouble" or "having a hard time".^[50] Coincidentally, sokda is a linguistic false friend to the standard Korean word for "be deceived", "be cheated" or "be fooled", so Pokssak sogatsuda could be misinterpreted as the standard Korean translation for "heavily fooled".^[50]

The official English title, When Life Gives You Tangerines, was announced on January 30, 2023,^[51] and is a word play on the proverb "When life gives you lemons, make lemonade";^[52] the fruit that grows in Jeju Island is mandarin orange, however. The Chinese title, Kǔjìngānlái Yùjiànnǐ (Chinese: 苦盡柑來遇見你; lit. 'I finally get to meet you after enduring hardship'), similarly plays on the Chinese proverb Kǔjìngānlái (苦盡甘來; 'After the bitterness comes sweetness'); here, the Chinese character for either "mandarin orange" or "tangerine" (柑; gān) replaces similarly sounded character for "sweetness" (甘; gān) in the original proverb.^[52] A representative for Netflix's Globalisation Team stated that "When giving a title in English, the goal is to localize the creator's intention and cultural nuance in the original title to suit the culture of English-speaking countries".^[52]

Filming

Aside from filming in Jeju, the production also filmed in Andong in 2023.^[53]

In 2023, the series faced controversy over nuisance filming. A visitor to the Gochang Academy Farm Green Barley Field Festival reported being restricted from entering a rapeseed flower field due to ongoing filming. When the visitor attempted to photograph the flowers from a distance, a staff member reportedly shouted at them to stop taking pictures.^[54] Allegations of bullying by staff members toward extras surfaced in May 2025.^[55] In response, Netflix stated that it was investigating the allegations.^[56]

Casting

Principal cast

IU (Ae-sun / Geum-myeong)

Park Bo-gum (Gwan-sik)

Moon So-ri (Middle-age Ae-sun)

Park Hae-joon (Middle-age Gwan-sik)

On January 27, 2023, IU and Park Bo-gum were confirmed in the roles of the main characters Ae-sun and Gwan-sik respectively.^[49] IU and Park Bo-gum, both born in 1993, have been friends since starring in a television commercial together in their teens, with Park Bo-gum making a cameo in IU's drama The Producers (2015) in their twenties.^[57]

This is the second collaboration between director Kim Won-seok and IU after the 2018 tvN drama series My Mister.^[46] On January 30, 2023, Moon So-ri and Park Hae-joon were officially confirmed to play the older versions of Ae-sun and Gwan-sik, respectively. This marks the fourth appearance of Park Hae-joon in a Kim Won-seok-directed drama following Misaeng: Incomplete Life (2014), My Mister (2018), Arthdal Chronicles (2019).^[58] Choi Dae-hoon's casting was confirmed in October 2023, with filming for the series reportedly commencing in March 2023.^[12]

The first script reading took place in March 2023,^[59][60] together with the confirmation of the casting of Na Moon-hee, Kim Yong-rim, and Lee Jun-young.^[9] Lee Soo-kyung's casting was confirmed in May 2023,^[18] with Baek Ji-won's being confirmed the following month.^[61] In July 2023, Oh Jeong-se was confirmed to join the cast, with Kim Seon-ho making a guest appearance.^[62][33] Jung Yi-seo's casting was confirmed in August 2023,^[63] with Lee Soo-mi and Yeom Hye-ran joining the series the following month.^[10][64]

When Life Gives You Tangerines OST from the Netflix Series - Act 1

When Life Gives You Tangerines OST from the Netflix Series - Act 2

When Life Gives You Tangerines OST from the Netflix Series - Act 3

When Life Gives You Tangerines OST from the Netflix Series - Combined

Critical response

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 100% of 9 critics' reviews are positive.^[86] The series was a domestic and international hit.^[87] It received plaudits for its performances, screenplay, and direction,^[88][89] and has been favorably compared to the acclaimed period drama Reply 1988 (2015–16), for eliciting nostalgia and warmth rooted in the Korean experience.^[90][91]

Time magazine praised the series for being "devastatingly profound", showing not only "the story of one family" but also "the story of Korea's modernization from the postwar period to today" and highlighting "a rich and distinct cultural history" of Jeju island.^[92] India Today stated that the series "isn't just a love story, nor is it merely a historical drama. It's a meditation on time, on love, and on the quiet labor of care that stretches across lifetimes."^[93] Per South China Morning Post the series "masterfully bridged past and present, blurring the line between nostalgic reverie and pressing reality" calling it "one of the very best K-dramas of all time – and quite possibly the most Korean of them all."^[94] The series was also praised by the Chinese Communist Party-owned daily tabloid Global Times.^[95]

Viewership

The series was in Netflix's Top 10 Non-English Shows for nine weeks.

Impact

Following its release in the first week of March, the series topped the Good Data Corporation's Top 10 TV-OTT Drama Topicality Ranking for seven consecutive weeks. During this period, IU ranked first in the buzz-worthy drama performer category. Park Bo-gum rank second for six consecutive weeks and third the following week. In the third week of March, Lee Jun-young was fourth, and Kim Seon-ho was tenth. In the fourth week, Kim Seon-ho ranked third, Lee Jun-young eighth, and Kang You-seok tenth.^[105]

In addition, the series ranked first in Gallup Korea's nationwide survey of favorite TV programs for March, April, and May 2025. It was Netflix's fifth series to rank first for three consecutive months. It was also the first drama to surpass a 10% preference rating since January 2013.^[106] Park Bo-gum was named Gallup Korea's Television Actor of the Year, with IU in second place; he became the first artist to top the poll for an OTT release.^[107]

According to the mobile big data platform Mobile Index, Netflix reported 14 million monthly active users (MAUs) in March 2025, reflecting an increase of over 640,000 from the previous month. This marked the first time Netflix's MAUs exceeded 14 million since January 2023, when the drama The Glory gained significant popularity. Following the initial public release of the series, Pan Entertainment's stock price rose by 22.12%. Ahead of the second release, the stock reached 3,930 won, surpassing its 52-week high.^[108]

Clockwise from top: Rapeseed field in Jeju island, pea on rice, and croakers gained increased attention due to the series

The show had a major influence on popular culture, resulting in the creation of the term "Pokssak Sogatsuda Craze" (Korean: 폭싹 속았수다 열풍) shaping trends in furniture, fashion, food, and tourism.^[109][110] The mother-of-pearl chest treasured by Ae-sun in the drama prompted a trend of refurbishing similar chests on social media.^[111] The fashion styles of Ae-sun and Gwan-sik in the drama led to a resurgence of retro chic, also known as Grandmacore. Online shopping sites reported a spike in searches for these styles after the drama's release, with items like pearl hairpins, dot scarves, checkered ties, and floral shirts experiencing a notable increase in sales.^[112][113] A school lunch menu with dishes inspired by the series, such as barley and pea rice, squid, and croaker, gained popularity on social media.^[114] These dishes subsequently appeared in various cafeterias, including Hybe's cafeteria, further increasing online interest.^[115] Sales of sesame oil, perilla oil, soju brands, fried chicken brands, and snacks from the show have also experienced a significant boost.^[116][117]

The Jeju Tourism Organization observed a surge in interest in Jeju, the main setting of the series, prompting airlines to increase flights to Jeju during Golden Week.^[112] Major airlines like Korean Air, Asiana Airlines, and Jeju Air reported that all flights to Jeju on the first week of May were fully booked.^[118] In addition, after the success of the series, Jeju's local government and Netflix Korea signed the "Business Agreement for Activation of Jeju Culture and Tourism and Content" on May 16, 2025.^[119]

IU and Park Bo-gum's rendition of "Mountain Boy's Love Story" in Gayo Stage was praised, with the song becoming popular in streaming and social media as well as karaoke rooms.^[120] Park Bo-gum and Park Hae-joon's portrayals of Gwan-sik have been well received both domestically and internationally. Their depiction of a loving husband sparked a meme referred to as "Gwan-sik-ness," with the phrase "My Own Gwan-sik" trending on social media as users shared posts about partners and fathers exhibiting similar loving behaviors.^[121] Choi Dae-hoon's portrayal also led to the "Hak-ssi Craze," with the catchphrase "Hak-ssi" becoming well-known and earning him the nickname "Mr. Hak-ssi."^[122] Additionally, "Kim Seon-ho's smile challenge," in which netizens mimic his wink and smile from the drama became viral on social media globally.^[123]

The series' recognition led to unauthorized use of its images. A supermarket in Hebei, China, used images of the main characters from the drama in advertisements without permission, including scenes of Park Bo-gum as Gwan-sik selling cabbages and IU as Ae-sun holding a cup of pea rice.^[124] On June 2, 2025, shortly before the 2025 South Korean presidential election, candidate Kim Moon-soo posted a parody of the series on his social media replacing the faces of Park Bo-gum and IU with his and his wife's. Prior to this, he wore a red tracksuit similar to Gwan-sik's costume while campaigning in Jeju. Some viewers questioned whether Netflix had authorized the use and expressed concerns about politicizing the show. On June 3, Netflix stated that it was aware of the parody but had not approved it and was monitoring for further unauthorized uses.^[125][126]

Listicles