“He didnt even say the word ugly” - Fans defend as Park Bo-gum’s remarks on his When Life Gives You Tangerines tanned look sparks controversy

On Monday, March 24, 2025, Park Bo-gum participated in an interview at Conrad Seoul in Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul. In this interview, he discussed his role in the Netflix series When Life Gives You Tangerines, as reported by Sports Donga on March 25.

Recalling the filming process, he mentioned that the makeup team had applied a dark foundation from his face to his feet, ensuring all visible skin areas were darkened with thick makeup. This was done to create a tanned appearance, as his character had lived in Jeju Island for a long time.

"The makeup team applied dark foundation from his face to his feet. They made all the areas where flesh was visible darker and darker with makeup. Since he lived in Jeju Island for a long time, they tried to make him look like he's been tanned a lot," Park Bo-gum added.

Park Bo-gum also spoke about gaining weight for the role, estimating that he had put on around 4-5 kg. However, he could not recall the exact amount since it had been 2-3 years ago. Despite the weight gain, he noted that his face appeared slimmer on screen than expected.

"He said he wanted to be a bit bigger than his friend who works out, so I tried to express it visually by working out, eating a lot, and gaining weight. He really gained a lot. He looks more solid than I thought, but his face looks slim. I gained about 4~5kg. It wasn't hard, and I filmed healthily," Park Bo-gum said.

While many netizens interpreted the statement as Park Bo-gum calling his character in the drama ugly due to the tanning and weight gain, fans jumped to his rescue to correct them. A fan asked:

"He didnt even say the word ugly why r u twisting his words."

"All he said was that the makeup team worked hard to make him look like a jeju native who toiled for years under the sun?? He never even mentioned anything close to ugly lol," noted another fan.

"Already popping veins in the quotes , yall will never make me hate him," said another fan.

Fans reiterated that Park Bo-gum had talked about looking like a man from Jeju and not someone ugly.

"You better not misword this greenest man you mf just focus on dragging kim pdf, do your job," commented another.

"Please spend your time to read the whole things Bogum saying, so you will not misinterpret and misunderstanding like this. He NEVER says- ugly- ," responded another.

"not ugly per se but he made a very believable, hard working young man who grew up by the sea," reacted another.

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Park Bo-gum talks about his experience portraying Yang Gwan-sik

Addressing the reduced screen time as When Life Gives You Tangerines transitioned to a middle-aged setting, Park Bo-gum stated that he had been aware of the extent of his role from the beginning. He expressed gratitude for the audience's appreciation of and attachment to his character, Gwan-sik.

"After reading the writer's writing, I thought, 'This is really good,' 'I want to do this work,' and that it is a meaningful work in itself to leave a mark on my filmography," Park Bo-gum said.

When describing Yang Gwan-sik, the actor characterized him as someone who conveyed his emotions through actions rather than words, quietly fulfilling his responsibilities. To visually represent this, he aimed to make Gwan-sik appear larger than his friend who worked out, which led him to focus on eating more, gaining weight, and exercising.

While acknowledging that Gwan-sik was a strong and admirable character, he noted that he did not find him unrealistic. Although some might perceive him as passive, he viewed him as someone who expressed himself in subtle ways.

He pointed out that Gwan-sik demonstrated care and concern for others through small actions, such as silently giving Kkotpin to Jo-gu. As he portrayed the character, he shared that he wished to have a friend like Gwan-sik and aspired to be a similarly reliable spouse and companion.

Park Bo-gum also mentioned that young Gwan-sik would appear in Act 4, though he had not checked the exact duration of his screen time. Nonetheless, he believed viewers would remember his presence in the story. He described Gwan-sik as a character who remained consistent over time, comparing him to gold that does not tarnish. Regardless of age, he believed that Gwan-sik's essence remained unchanged.

"We are similar in that we love our families, take good care of our own people, and express our hearts when we love someone with all our hearts. However, Yang Gwan-sik does not express it verbally, but I try to talk more," Park Bo-gum said.

Park Bo-gum also pointed out that they shared a deep love for their families, took care of those close to them, and expressed their emotions wholeheartedly when they loved someone. However, he noted a key difference—while Gwan-sik tended to be reserved, he himself preferred to express his feelings more openly.

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The finale of When Life Gives You Tangerines, episodes 13 to 16, will air on March 28, 2025.