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The drama series When Life Gives You Tangerines has helped sign a major content deal for Jeju Island. On May 16, 2025, Korea JoongAng Daily reported that Netflix and Jeju Self-Governing Province signed an agreement to boost local content and promote Jeju's culture and tourism following the success of the drama series, When Life Gives You Tangerines.
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The said agreement is aimed at boosting the K-Content ecosystem by creating a production environment unique to the area. This will benefit domestic creators as well as production companies.
The agreement signing ceremony was attended by Netflix Asia's Vice President of Content Kim Min-young, along with Jeju Governor Oh Young-hun, and other officers from each organisation.
Following the success of Netflix's original series When Life Gives You Tangerines, which is partially based on Jeju Island, the area has gained attention as a tourist destination for both local and international fans.
Many other Netflix shows, such as Kian's Bizarre B&B, were filmed on Ulleung Island, which is closer to Jeju. The upcoming dating show, Better Late than Single, is also set in Jeju Island.
Netflix and Jeju Island have collaborated to implement various institutional measures, including expanded incentives for content filmed in the region. They are striving to simplify administrative procedures for filming permits, reduce rental rates for local facilities, and even provide convenient lodging for international crews.
Both parties will collaborate to promote the island's culture and tourism both globally and domestically through the streaming giant's platform. They plan to discuss various partnerships, such as trailers and posters, as well as regional-specific content for domestic and international events.
They will also conduct a joint research initiative to examine the impact of this collaboration on the island's economy and culture. They plan to study the effects of Jeju-based content on regional awareness and tourism demand as well as local production.
Oh Young-hun, Governor of Jeju, remarked as reported by Korea JoongAng Daily on May 16, 2025,
"Today is a meaningful day as Jeju Island becomes the first regional autonomous body to sign a business agreement with Netflix, opening the door to not only revitalizing content that we have worked hard to achieve within the Korean content industry but also developing culture and regional tourism.”
More about Netflix's drama series, When Life Gives You Tangerines, set in Jeju Island
When Life Gives You Tangerines, starring Park Bo-gum and IU in the titular roles, is written by Lim Sang-choon and directed by Kim Won-seok. Lim Sang-choon is known for her acclaimed works such as Fight For My Way and When the Camellia Blooms. Kim Won-seok has earned praise for his previous works such as Signal, My Mister, and Misaeng.
The story is set in 1950s Jeju and revolves around Ae-sun, a rebellious girl who loves to read. She dreams of becoming a poet despite being from an impoverished background. On the other hand, Gwan-sik is a sincere and hardworking man who loves Ae-sun with all his heart.
The original Korean title of the series is Pokssak sogatsuda (폭싹 속았수다), which is a Jeju language verb that translates to "Thank you for your hard work." Its English title, When Life Gives You Tangerines, is a modified version of the popular English saying, "When Life Gives You Lemons, Make Lemonade."
This title, When Life Gives You Tangerines, nods to the mandarin oranges grown in Jeju. IU also explained that meaning at a press conference, as reported by Yonhap on March 16, 2025, stating,
"It contains the meaning that even if life throws bitter tangerines at you, you should make tangerine juice out of them and drink it as warm tangerine tea."
The series was in Netflix's Top 10 chart for non-English shows for nine weeks, with an IMDb rating of 9.2/10. When Life Gives You Tangerines won Best Drama, Best Screenplay, Best Supporting Actress, and Best Supporting Actor at the 61st Baeksang Arts Awards.
When Life Gives You Tangerines has 16 episodes and can be streamed on Netflix worldwide.
