IU and Park Bo-gum Star in Netflix Period Romance "When Life Gives You Tangerines"
The highly anticipated Jeju Island-set drama premieres this spring to global acclaim.
"When Life Gives You Tangerines" has arrived, and it is everything fans hoped for and more. The Netflix period romance starring IU and Park Bo-gum, set against the breathtaking backdrop of Jeju Island in the 1970s and 80s, has debuted to universal critical acclaim and is already tracking as one of the platform's biggest Korean releases of the year.
A Love Story Decades in the Making
The drama follows the intertwined lives of Ae-sun (IU) and Gwan-sik (Park Bo-gum) across multiple decades, from their childhood in a tangerine farming village to the complexities of adult life in a rapidly modernizing Korea. Writer Im Sang-chun has crafted a narrative that is simultaneously intimate and epic — a rare achievement in any medium.
“IU and Park Bo-gum have chemistry that transcends the screen. This is the kind of performance that defines careers.”
- Debuted at #1 in 54 countries on Netflix
- Filmed entirely on location in Jeju Island over 8 months
- IU reportedly learned the Jeju dialect for the role
- Original soundtrack by IU herself (4 songs)
- Already renewed for a special extended cut
Tourism officials in Jeju Island have already reported a 40% spike in booking inquiries since the drama's premiere, with fans eager to visit the filming locations. The "When Life Gives You Tangerines" effect on Korean tourism is shaping up to rival the impact of "Crash Landing on You" — which famously boosted tourism to filming locations by hundreds of percent.