"A special appearance did that" — When Life Gives You Tangerines fans in awe as Kim Seon-ho wink scene-inspired challenge takes over the internet

Actor Kim Seon-ho’s wink and smile moment from When Life Gives You Tangerines has sparked a viral trend across China’s Douyin and Xiaohongshu platforms. Known as the "Kim Seon-ho Smile Challenge" or "金宣虎笑容模仿," the trend quickly gained traction, surpassing one million likes within days.

The challenge recreates a scene from episode 13 of When Life Gives You Tangerines, where Kim Seon-ho’s character Park Cheong-seop sees his bride-to-be, Yang Geum-myeong (played by IU), dressed in her wedding gown for the first time. Just before the wedding ceremony, Geum-myeong appears in full bridal attire and playfully shows off her look from a distance inside the chapel.

Captivated by her beauty, Cheong-seop dramatically clutches his chest and pretends to faint by tilting his head, closing his eyes. As Geum-myeong bursts into laughter at his playful reaction, Park Cheong-seop flashes a playful wink, by opening one eye to look at her, smiling as he did so.

Fans of When Life Gives You Tangerines have embraced the playful pose, tilting their heads with the wink and the smile, pairing it with Meteor Garden’s popular OST Ai Cun Zai (Love Exists). The playful homage has drawn attention from fans and celebrities alike, with 2023 Chinese drama Till the End of the Moon actress Bai Lu joining in by reenacting the scene. Her video delighted fans and added even more momentum to the already booming trend.

Even though Kim Seon-ho appeared only as a guest actor with limited screen time, many shared their love for Kim Seon-ho's portrayal that created such a viral challenge.

"A special appearance did that," tweeted a fan on X.

"The Kim Seonho smile imitation challenge is in the top 25 challenges at Douyin (tiktok of China), while Seonho's topic on rednote has 170 million views now 🥹🥹 His popularity has really skyrocketed and has gone viral in China!! So so proud!" said a netizen.

"His wink should have own fandom Kim Seon Ho's aura jinjaaa," commented another netizen.

"All of this from a 64 minutes special appearance, Kim Seonho," said a fan.

"I browse xhs and dy regularly, and it's clear that seonho's popularity skyrocketed after his appearance as chungseop, the buzz around him was nonstop, even old clips from 2d1n and homcha started resurfacing and gaining hundreds to thousands of likes," added another fan.

Several fans praised Kim Seon-ho's impact and celebrated the trend's unexpected success.

"Lives were changed after this wink scene and there's no way of going back," said a user.

"Streets saying this viral winkeu challenge has caused people to ask which drama is it from so now those people started watching wlgyt they might think it's from a lovey dovey romcom only to cry buckets," wrote another user.

""Kimseonho smile challenge" Imagine being the reason for the smile challenge," commented a fan.

"Thought we are done hyping #KimSeonHo content on WLGYT, then today there was Bailu mimicking his scene and all the wink challenge in douyin n xhs.. what a great day to be a Seonhohada!" added another fan.

Bai Lu (白鹿), born Bai Mengyan, is a Chinese actress, model, and singer. She rose to fame with standout performances in dramas such as Untouchable Lovers (2018), The Legends (2019), Arsenal Military Academy (2019), Love Is Sweet (2020), One and Only (2021), and Till the End of the Moon (2023). Her latest drama was Northward which aired in March, 2025.

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When Life Gives You Tangerines: IU and Park Bo-gum shine in Netflix’s nostalgic coming-of-age drama

Set against the scenic beauty of 1950s Jeju Island, When Life Gives You Tangerines is a heartfelt coming-of-age story. The drama centers on Ae-sun, a spirited young woman dreaming of becoming a poet, and Gwan-sik, a steadfast and silent man whose love for Ae-sun runs deep.

Ae-sun fights against the limits placed on her, chasing her dreams with resilience and quiet hope. Her fiery spirit hides a tenderness that makes her journey touching and relatable. Gwan-sik, on the other hand, struggles to show his feelings but supports Ae-sun with unwavering loyalty.

As they face the challenges of a changing world, their bond grows stronger, capturing the joys and heartaches of youth. When Life Gives You Tangerines beautifully honors the memories and emotions of past generations—first loves, bold dreams, and the bittersweet moments that stay for a lifetime.

IU and Park Bo-gum lead the cast in this hit series. When Life Gives You Tangerines debuted on Netflix on March 7, 2025, rolling out in 4 parts with weekly episode releases.

On April 4, When Life Gives You Tangerines claimed the top spot as the highest-rated TV series on IMDb for 2025, earning an impressive 9.3 rating. The slice-of-life romance drama became a major success both in South Korea and internationally. Viewers praised its storytelling, direction, screenplay, metaphorical depth, performances, and overall cinematic quality.

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All 16 episodes of When Life Gives You Tangerines are available to stream on Netflix.