IU Praises Park Bo-gum After ‘When Life Gives You Tangerines’: “Didn’t Know I Could Feel This Way About a Friend”
IU has nothing but praise for her When Life Gives You Tangerines co-star Park Bo-gum, calling him a “deeply admirable friend” and expressing her awe at his maturity and character throughout their filming journey.
On April 2, during a press interview at Ambassador Seoul Pullman Hotel, IU reflected on the year-long experience of working alongside Park Bo-gum on Netflix’s series When Life Gives You Tangerines. The two portray the younger versions of Ae-soon and Gwan-sik in the heartfelt, decades-spanning drama set in Jeju.
“We’ve known each other since our teens,” IU shared. “We used to just exchange short messages—‘How have you been?’—but this time, we really spent a year going through four seasons together. I was constantly amazed.”
She continued, “Even though we’re the same age, he’s so much more mature and sincere. His stamina is incredible, and he’s deeply considerate of everyone on set. I didn’t know I could feel this kind of admiration for a friend. He truly inspired me.”
IU also credited Park Bo-gum’s portrayal of Gwan-sik as key to bringing synergy to their scenes. “Just looking into his eyes helped me immerse into Ae-soon’s emotions. Even after the director yelled ‘cut,’ he remained in character—gentle, wise, steadfast. Watching him made me reflect on myself and want to do better.”
She added with a laugh, “In promo activities after filming, I saw another side of him—his passion and drive. Even after this project, he recently wrapped up filming his next drama Good Boy. Seeing his enthusiasm despite his busy schedule was such a positive influence. He’s the kind of friend where if he says ‘Let’s do this,’ I’d say ‘OK’ without a second thought.”
When Life Gives You Tangerines is a Netflix original series that follows the life of Ae-soon (played by IU and Moon So-ri) and Gwan-sik (Park Bo-gum and Park Hae-joon) from 1960s Jeju to modern-day Seoul. The series wrapped up its 16-episode run on March 28 with critical and audience acclaim, ranking on the Top 10 lists in 39 countries.
