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The Korea Times

This story contains spoilers.
Park Bo-gum, long known for his youthful charm, is shown in a new light as a quietly powerful father figure in the Netflix drama When Life Gives You Tangerines.
The 31-year-old actor plays the younger version of Yang Gwan-sik, a steadfast husband and father who remains devoted to his wife, Ae-sun, played by IU, and their children through hardship and loss.
Though his character is soft-spoken, Park gives him deep emotional resonance through subtle expressions and controlled gestures, leaving viewers across generations in tears.


The drama, which began streaming on March 7, has remained No 1 on Netflix Korea’s popularity chart and climbed to No 2 globally in the non-English television category. Episodes are released in sets of four each week, with the final episodes (13–16) scheduled for release on March 28.
When Life Gives You Tangerines is Park’s first project since completing his mandatory military service in South Korea in 2022. So drawn was he to the role that he postponed work on another drama to take on the part.
Speaking this week, he said: “I was deeply moved by the adults in the script who protect the vulnerable. The warmth in this story made me want to be part of it.”
As Gwan-sik, Park embodies the spirit of a man who rarely speaks but expresses love through action. He sells vegetables at the market in place of his shy wife, gives his children the best portions of every meal, and never once complains about his hard life as a fisherman.
Park described Gwan-sik as someone who quietly protects and cherishes those he loves. “Everyone has the heart to care for and look after their people, just like Gwan-sik,” he said. “They just don’t always show it. I believe there are people like Gwan-sik out there in the world.”

He reflected on the character’s emotional foundation, attributing it to the love he received from his own family.
“I think the love Gwan-sik gives is rooted in the love he received from his grandmother, father and mother. When you’ve experienced deep love, you’re able to give even more of it.”
Because Gwan-sik lives surrounded by the people he loves, Park said he never saw the character as pitiful. “I always thought Gwan-sik’s happiness level was fully charged,” he said. “He gave everything so his family could do what they wanted to do. That’s not sad to me, it’s admirable.”
Yet even the strongest man can break, and Gwan-sik does when he loses his three-year-old son. Park said he grappled with how to convey such sorrow.
“There was a line in the script that read, ‘A father’s cry shook the Earth’. I felt the most honest way to show that grief was for him to simply collapse in silence. I hoped that moment might bring someone comfort.”

Another scene that captured viewers’ attention was Gwan-sik swimming from a boat to the harbour to reach Ae-sun. Park, a former competitive swimmer through middle school, performed the scene himself.
“It was my first time swimming in the ocean, and the current kept pushing me sideways,” he said. “But I thought, ‘When else will I get a chance like this?’ and just did it.”
Park also expressed his admiration for screenwriter Lim Sang-choon. Despite portraying a father of three in the 1950s, Park said the role felt surprisingly natural thanks to the strength of the script.
“It’s not a time I’ve lived through, but when I read what writer Lim Sang-choon wrote, I understood it all. I could relate,” he said. “During the script reading, it felt like every single character was alive.”
To bring Gwan-sik to life, Park also made physical changes to suit the role. “Since the character used to swim, I gained some weight. The make-up team helped create a sun-tanned look. And because Gwan-sik doesn’t talk much, I lowered my voice for the role.”

Although Gwan-sik is from Jeju Island, he rarely speaks in dialect. Park explained: “The director told me that Gwan-sik’s father is from Jeju, but his mother is from another region. So I tried to blend a bit of the Jeju dialect with the rhythm of his mother’s speech.”
On working with IU, his co-star and character counterpart Ae-sun, Park said: “It’s rare to act alongside someone your own age, and I had so much fun working with her.
“Seeing her go through every emotional beat as Ae-sun, then play her own daughter Geum-myung, and prepare for her concerts at the same time, I thought, ‘She has incredible emotional stamina.’
“I really wanted to tell her, ‘You’ve truly given your all to this project.’”
Looking ahead to the final episodes, Park said: “After watching the ending, I think people will feel a desire to express their love more openly to those they care about. I hope this drama stays in their hearts for a long time.”

Park made his debut in the 2011 film Blind, and rose to fame as Choi Taek, a genius player of the board game Go, in the hit drama Reply 1988.
He is set to star in JTBC’s coming comedy-action drama Good Boy in May, playing Yoon Dong-joo, a gold-medal-winning boxer turned special-recruit police officer.
This article from the Hankook Ilbo, a sister publication of The Korea Times, is translated by a generative AI and edited by The Korea Times.
Read the full story at The Korea Times.


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‘The warmth in this story made me want to be part of it,’ recalls Park Bo-gum – so much so he postponed work on another drama to take it on


‘The warmth in this story made me want to be part of it,’ recalls Park Bo-gum – so much so he postponed work on another drama to take it on.


Park Bo-gum on his role in When Life Gives You Tangerines, and praise for co-star IU

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}‘The warmth in this story made me want to be part of it,’ recalls Park Bo-gum – so much so he postponed work on another drama to take it on

‘The warmth in this story made me want to be part of it,’ recalls Park Bo-gum – so much so he postponed work on another drama to take it on