"I wanted to be this kind of husband" — Park Bo-gum shares his take on being a life partner like Gwan-sik from 'When Life Gives You Tangerines'

On March 24, 2025, OSEN reported that Park Bo-gum expressed his desire to be a husband like Gwan-sik from When Life Gives You Tangerines.

Yang Gwan-sik is portrayed as a sincere and hardworking young man. In contrast to Ae-sun, who is described as bold and rebellious, Gwan-sik is more reserved. He conveys his emotions through actions rather than words.

Gwan-sik has been in love with Ae-sun since he was 11. His unwavering support for her dreams and willingness to be a shoulder for her to lean on have been a key element of the show.

His determination to face any challenges alongside her further highlights his role in the story. The drama effectively shows the extent of Gwan-sik's devotion to Ae-sun.

Park Bo-gum described Gwan-sik's character as "really cool" and realistic. He also shared that he would like to have a friend like Gwan-sik.

"While reading, I thought Gwan-sik was really cool, but I didn't think it was unrealistic. I thought that I might meet him at least once in my life. I thought Gwan-sik was a friend who always expressed himself first."

Furthermore, Park Bo-gum added that Gwan-sik inspired him to be a compassionate and kind partner. He further explained:

"I thought, 'I wish I had a friend like this,' and while acting, I thought, 'I wish I could be this kind of person,' and furthermore, I wanted to be this kind of husband, this kind of spouse, this kind of companion, and this kind of friend."

Park Bo-gum stated that he is 70% similar to Gwan-sik in real life. However, he noted that Gwan-sik is more reserved and expresses his love and care through his actions. The actor revealed that he also strives to show his love and care for his family and loved ones both verbally and through his actions.

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When Life Gives You Tangerines: A decades-spanning tale of love and resilience and cultural references

When Life Gives You Tangerines is a Netflix drama starring Park Bo-gum as Gwan-sik and IU as Ae-sun. The series, a South Korean production, has a strong cultural grounding and is set predominantly on Jeju Island.

The title relates to the Jeju dialect, Pokssak Sogatsuda, which means, 'Thank You for Your Hard Work', reflecting the tenacity of Jeju's people. The use of 'tangerines' in the English title acknowledges to the island's agricultural history and its well-known tangerine farms.

When Life Gives You Tangerines presents the cultural practices and traditions of Jeju, particularly the cultural significance of the 'haenyeo'. They are the historical female free divers who contributed significantly to the local economy and community.

The storyline is set against the backdrop of 1950s South Korea, following the Korean War, and portrays the hardships of that period. It also explores societal norms of the 1950s, focusing on gender roles and expectations for women.

Directed by Kim Won-seok and written by Lim Sang-choon, When Life Gives You Tangerines incorporates cinematography that captures the landscape of Jeju Island.

The cast also includes Moon So-ri and Park Hae-joon stepping into Ae-sun's and Gwan-sik's middle-aged roles. IU portrays both the young adult Ae-sun and her daughter, Yang Geum-myeong.

Supporting roles are played by Yeom Hye-ran and Oh Jung-se, bringing depth to the drama. Special appearances by Kim Seon-ho (The Childe), Lee Jun-young (Melo Movie), and Kim Jae-young (The Judge From Hell) added more weight to the series.

The show is categorized as a romance and slice-of-life drama with balanced historical elements such as the 1988 Olympics Torch Relay in South Korea.

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When Life Gives You Tangerines premiered on Netflix on March 7, 2025, with four new episodes released weekly until March 28. The finale will air on March 28, 2025, with the release of episodes 13 to 16.