bodyType

customContents

entityId

entityUuid

articlePageQuery

filter

article

articleBaseAdvertisingInfoArticle

articleListArticle

articleSeoArticle

helpersCheckIsPostiesArticle

hooksArticleAcknowledgementGateOverlayArticle

hooksTrackPageViewArticle

hooksContentInterestArticle

articleLinkingDataContent

hooksAmpRedirectArticle

articleSchemaContent

liveArticle

advertZone

sentiment

contentLock

topics

types

sections

moreOnThisArticles

urlAlias

commentCount

authorLocations

authors

corrections

sponsorType

displaySlideShow

multimediaEmbed

printHeadline

seriesContainer

socialHeadline

headline

flag

firstTopic

glossary

flattenTypeIds

publishedDate

additionalInfoBoxes

quizIds

images

image

relatedLinks

relatedNewsletters

__typename

createdDate

sponsor

paywallTypes

pdfFiles

seriesReverseOrder

series

disableOffPlatformContent

published

updatedDate

summary

subHeadline

body

keywords

readingTime

customTimezone

liveContents

The Korea Times

This article contains spoilers
By Park Jin-hai
In the recently concluded Netflix sensation When Life Gives You Tangerines, singer-actress IU delivers a captivating performance by seamlessly embodying two distinct characters – the spirited young Ae-sun and, later, her ambitious daughter Geum-myeong – in a multigenerational story of life, love and resilience.
Despite the challenge of playing dual characters, IU, real name Lee Ji-eun, skilfully captures the intricate nuances of both their lives.
Viewers have praised the 31-year-old for setting a new milestone in her acting career – in which her breakout role was in the 2018 drama My Mister – and once again expanding her acting spectrum.

Expressing her joy and disbelief upon receiving the script for When Life Gives You Tangerines, IU revealed she read it on the spot and felt an immediate desire to take on the role of Ae-sun, a character very different from the darker roles she had previously portrayed.
“My Mister and When Life Gives You Tangerines share a common focus on human emotions rather than events, but their tones are vastly different,” she said during an interview this week.
“In My Mister, Ji-an starts in the shadows and gradually steps into the sunlight. In contrast, Ae-sun begins in the sunlight, encounters passing shadows, but refuses to be defeated and continues to seek the light.
“In my past work, I often played characters burdened with darkness and wounds. Ae-sun, however, is a character who has endured great pain but possesses immense vitality and inner strength, ultimately overcoming her struggles to embody sunlight itself. I really wanted to take on this role.”

Set on Jeju Island, the 16-part When Life Gives You Tangerines follows the turbulent yet inspiring lives of the passionate Ae-sun and the steadfast Gwan-sik (Park Bo-gum).
For IU, the drama’s central theme encapsulates a powerful message: “Life goes on as long as you live.”
“The drama covers a variety of themes: family, women, stories that transcend time and generations, love, and ambition. But ultimately, it’s about life,” she said.
“I particularly liked the ending, where Gwan-sik’s departure is heartbreaking, but Ae-sun lifts her head, straightens her back and proudly finishes writing her poem to show Gwan-sik. Even after his death, Ae-sun continues to live well and I found that very moving.”

In the series finale, Ae-sun realises her dream of becoming a poet, completing a poetry collection titled Pokssak Sogatsuda, a Jeju expression meaning “You’ve worked hard”, which is also the show’s Korean title.
Reflecting on this, IU revealed that if she were to create a poetry collection herself, she would title it “I’ll Sharpen My Pencil Again”.
“In my twenties, I expressed myself intensely [with a sharp pencil] and lived fiercely. But as I entered my thirties, the pencil’s tip gradually dulled. I came to accept that both sharp and blunt pencils have their own merits,” she said, noting her relentless pursuit of work often felt like a form of addiction.
“But, now I’m ready to sharpen my pencil again [and explore new opportunities in music and acting]. It’s my personal resolution.”

When Life Gives You Tangerines made IU reflect on what it meant to live a successful and fulfilling life.
“I, too, am someone with many desires. In my pursuit of achieving the pinnacle of success, there were moments when I failed to feel what I should have felt or to connect with people when I should have.
“Society views such achievements as success, but if one can say ‘I wrote a book of poetry and that is my treasure’ at the end of life, then perhaps that is what it means to live a meaningful and well-lived life,” she said.

She metaphorically likened her current phase of life to autumn, the season of harvest and reflection.
“I’ve held onto this drama for a long time and now that it’s out in the world and receiving so much love, it feels like autumn – a season of harvest.
“Personally, I also love autumn. I lived through summer intensely, but thinking about going back to summer feels too overwhelming. Autumn feels like both a season of gathering and preparation.
“Right now feels like the time to reorganise and prepare for winter,” she concluded.
Read the original story at The Korea Times.


Good Boy co-stars Park Bo-gum, Hyeri to reunite on YouTube show 10 years after Reply 1988

Is IU dropping new music? Star of When Life Gives You Tangerines teases possible comeback

Netflix’s Weak Hero Class 2 star Park Ji-hoon on ‘finding comfort’ playing deep protagonist

9 of the best new K-dramas to watch in May 2025, including Tastefully Yours on Netflix

K-drama news

What IU learned from When Life Gives You Tangerines about life and love

IU as Ae-sun’s ambitious daughter Geum-myeong in a still from the hit Korean drama When Life Gives You Tangerines. Photo: Netflix

IU in a still from My Mister (2018). Photo: IMDB

Park Bo-gum and IU in a still from When Life Gives You Tangerines. Photo: Netflix

IU in a still from When Life Gives You Tangerines. Photo: Netflix

IU (centre) in a still from When Life Gives You Tangerines.

IU (left) and Moon So-ri in a still from When Life Gives You Tangerines.

Netflix K-drama When Life Gives You Tangerines review: one of the best K-dramas ever made

IU (centre) as fishmonger Ae-sun in a still from the Korean drama When Life Gives You Tangerines, a gripping and rewarding watch from start to finish. 

Moon So-ri as fishmonger Ae-sun in a still from When Life Gives You Tangerines.

IU (left) as Geum-myeong and Moon So-ri as Ae-sun in a still from When Life Gives You Tangerines.

Moon So-ri (left) as Ae-sun and Park Hae-joon as Gwan-sik in a still from When Life Gives You Tangerines.

7 of the best new K-dramas to watch in April 2025, including Netflix thriller series Karma

Shin Min-a as Lee Ju-yeon in a still from Karma. Photo: Jihyeong Seo/Netflix

Shin Min-a as Lee Ju-yeon in a still from Karma, a limited series debuting on Netflix in April 2025. Photo: Jihyeong Seo/Netflix

8 of the best new K-dramas to watch in March 2025, including IU’s latest Netflix outing

Park Bo-gum (left) as Yang Gwan-sik and IU as Oh Ae-sun in a still from When Life Gives You Tangerines, one of eight Korean drama series launching in March 2025 that are worth catching. Photo: Yoo Eun-mi/Netflix

Amazon Prime K-drama Newtopia review: zombie romcom with Blackpink’s Jisoo misses the mark

Jisoo of Blackpink as Kang Young-soo in a still from Korean zombie romcom Newtopia.

Park Jung-min as Lee Jae-yoon in a still from Newtopia.

Park Jung-min as Lee Jae-yoon and Jisoo as Kang Young-joo in a still from Newtopia.

Jisoo as Kang Young-joo in a still from Newtopia.

Lifestyle

K-drama

 Artists & celebrities

News

Entertainment

Culture

Film & TV

K-Pop

Artists & celebrities

Singer-actress IU talks about playing Ae-sun and Geum-myeong and what the K-drama taught her about living a successful and fulfilling life


Singer-actress IU talks about playing Ae-sun and Geum-myeong and what the K-drama taught her about living a successful and fulfilling life.
