Chinese state affiliated media praises IU and Park Bo-gum’s When Life Gives You Tangerines, sparks speculation of Hallyu ban lift

Global Times, a media outlet affiliated with the Chinese state, has unexpectedly praised the Netflix K-drama When Life Gives You Tangerines, as reported by BNT News on March 28.

This has sparked speculation about a potential shift in the long-standing Chinese Hallyu Ban, which restricts Korean pop culture in China.

When Life Gives You Tangerine, starring K-pop and K-drama stars IU and Park Bo-gum, was featured as the lead entertainment piece in the Global Times' March 27 edition, titled “A New Hit in Korean Period Dramas.”

The article emphasized the show's reception both within China, where it became a domestic hit, and internationally since its premiere on Netflix on March 7. This coverage is particularly significant, as the Global Times is viewed as a strategic media outlet for China’s Communist Party’s foreign communication.

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When Life Gives You Tangerines contributes to stabilizing PRC-South Korea relations

Since the THAAD missile system deployment in 2016, China has imposed restrictions on the import of Korean entertainment, initially taking a passive stance. The Global Times has consistently maintained a critical stance toward Korean content throughout this cultural freeze.

Although Netflix is not accessible in China, Douban, a major review website in China, reported that When Life Gives You Tangerines had a score of 9.4. Douban also called the drama a "new milestone" in Korean period drama storytelling.

This praise coincides with ongoing diplomatic discussions hinting at normalized relations between the PRC and South Korea. For instance, on March 21, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi expressed willingness to resume cultural exchanges with South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul during a meeting in Japan.

Other recent developments include the release of Bong Joon-ho's Hollywood-backed Mickey 17 in China. However, while Mickey 17 is an American production, When Life Gives You Tangerines is a fully Korean project, created, acted, and written in Korea.

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When Life Gives You Tangerines becomes the most-loved OTT program

As reported by Wikitree on March 26, When Life Gives You Tangerines secured the top spot in Good Data Corporation’s weekly ranking of buzzworthy actors and was voted first in the latest survey from Gallup Korea, making it the most well-loved television and OTT program among Korean adults.

The series outperformed strong competitors like Buried Hearts, featuring Park Hyung-sik, and Undercover High School, starring Seo Kang-joon. When Life Gives You Tangerines ranked as the number one program in a March 18-20 Gallup Korea survey and surpassed all other dramas with more than 20% viewer ratings in this study.

Gallup Korea released the survey results, which used a sample of 1,003 individuals over the age of 18 from all across South Korea, on March 25. The IU and Park Bo-gum-led romance topped the ranking with an impressive 6.9% preference rating.

Unlike conventional viewing metrics, which analyze a sample of the population, this survey permitted respondents to give their favorite shows without any regard to time, platform, or network. Beginning in 2023, the survey expanded to measure OTT content, acknowledging the increasing importance of streaming services as a component of programming.

In addition to leading the ranking, IU was the most buzzworthy actor of the week in continuing dramas, while her co-star Park Bo-gum made the top 2 in Good Data Corporation’s list of most buzzworthy actors.