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In the latest episodes of the South Korean drama When Life Gives You Tangerines, released on March 21, 2025, the narrative delves deeper into Ae-sun and Yang Gwan-sik's children's lives. Volume 3 focuses on Ae-sun and Gwan-sik's daughter, Geum-myeong, and her love life.
The four episodes show Geum-myeong (played by IU as well) live in Japan throughout episode 9 and complete her exchange program. After she returns to Seoul in episode 10, she takes a part-time job as a theater ticket seller. There, she gets to know Park Cheong-sob (Kim Seon-ho), who paints movie posters.
Throughout episodes 11 and 12, Geum-myeong experiences harsh realities as she deals with the worst of cards regarding her love life. Despite being in a relationship with Yeong-bum (Lee Jun-young) since their first year in college, they didn't get to marry each other due to his mother's stubbornness.
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When Life Gives You Tangerines Volume 3 ends with Geum-myeong and Yeong-bum bidding each other their last farewell as they part ways after being together for seven years. Yeong-bum gets forcefully married to another girl of his mother's choice and spends the next 19 years of his life miserably and drinking every day.
By the end of episode 12, Geum-myeong did not get her fairytale love story of a happily-ever-after with Yeong-bum. Viewers will have to wait for the release of Volume 4 (episodes 13 to 16) to see who Geum-myeong gets married to in the end.
When Life Gives You Tangerines volume 3: The struggles of young love leads to a tragic ending
Ae-sun, portrayed by IU, has consistently been the emotional anchor of her family. Her journey from a spirited young woman with literary dreams to a devoted mother is marked by resilience and profound love. In episode 9 of When Life Gives You Tangerines, Ae-sun is plagued by recurring dreams of a past tragedy—the day she lost her son, Dong-myeong.
In these dreams, she assures that she will come back with his sister and promises Dong-myeong that she will give him candies on a daily basis. The dream is a metaphor for Ae-sun's gut-wrenching reminder of unfulfilled grief over her three-year-old son's tragic loss years ago. These dreams amplify her anxiousness about Geum-myeong's situation in Seoul with the rising crime levels during that time.
As shown in When Life Gives You Tangerines episode 10, Ae-sun arrives in Seoul. Unable to soothe her anxiety through daily phone calls and waiting for Geum-myeong to call her back, she convinces herself to go visit her in Seoul. Once she arrives, Ae-sun learns her daughter is in danger.
Geum-myeong is found in her apartment experiencing carbon monoxide poisoning. The incident is severe, but Ae-sun quickly breaks the door, goes to the landlord, and uses their phone to call an ambulance. Meanwhile, Cheong-seob is present at the landlord's house to ask for his daughter's hand in marriage.
He sees a frantic Ae-sun and Geum-myeong unconscious on the floor. While Cheong-seob physically carries Geum-myeong to the ambulance through the snow, it is Ae-sun's maternal intuition and swift response that truly save her daughter's life. They learn that Geum-myeong accidentally inhaled carbon monoxide after a circuit failure due to faulty wiring in her dingy apartment.
When Life Gives You Tangerines episode 10 also highlights Cheong-seob's developing feelings for Geum-myeong. His mother becomes fond of Geum-myeong as well and often gives her new books to study for her college exams. However, in the winter of 1994, Cheong-seob meets Geum-myeong one last time before enlisting in the military.
He never confesses his feelings for Geum-myeong and leaves for the military quietly. Cheong-seob knows that Geum-myeong is in love with Yeong-bum, hence he never crosses the line.
Parallel to Ae-sun and Geum-myeong's story, episodes 9 and 10 also explore the tumultuous relationship between Eun-myeong and Hyeon-seok. Eun-myeong becomes a target of violence, facing beatings from Hyeon-seok's brother and his friends due to familial conflicts.
This external pressure leads Eun-myeong to consider ending the relationship to protect Hyeon-seok. However, Hyeon-seok's unwavering commitment showcases the depth of their bond, as she expresses willingness to endure hardships to be with him.
The narrative also sheds light on Sang-gil's household, offering a glimpse into a stagnant domestic life. Sang-gil remains indifferent to his responsibilities, passively spending his days watching television. His son's candid confrontation underscores the family's internal strife, highlighting the emotional toll of Sang-gil's apathy on his wife and children.
When Life Gives You Tangerines episode 11 shows Geum-myeong and Yeong-bum's parents meeting to discuss their wedding. Ae-sun and Gwan-sik quietly watch as Yeong-bum's mother continuously humiliates Geum-myeong at the restaurant.
Later, Yeong-bum's mother meets Ae-sun and Geum-myeong at a wedding dress shop where she tells Ae-sun that she would like to call off the wedding. Ae-sun is heartbroken to learn how much Yeong-bum's mother despises her daughter for no reason.
When Life Gives You Tangerines episode 11 ends with Geum-myeong standing up for herself and her family's dignity. She calls off her engagement and wedding with Yeong-bum and leaves his place.
For a whole year, Yeong-bum tries to convince Geum-myeong to take him back and marry him, but she tells him each time about how much his family would humiliate her and her parents for being poor. Their love for each other is so intense that it takes Geum-myeong and Yeong-bum to finally part ways after being together for seven years.
After her harrowing experience in Seoul, Geum-myeong returns to her hometown of Jeju Island. Her family, particularly her mother, Ae-sun (played by Moon So-ri), is relieved to have her back. However, the family's relief is tempered by the societal pressures of the time, emphasizing the importance of marriage for women.
Ae-sun, having faced her own sacrifices, wishes for her daughter to have a stable and respectable life. This maternal concern manifests in her encouragement for Geum-myeong to consider marriage, especially to a suitor like Park Yeong-bum.
When Life Gives You Tangerines episode 12 ends with Cheong-seob seeing Geum-myeong in Seoul. On his way from being officially discharged from the military, he finds her at a bus stop. As he tries to walk towards her, Geum-myeong boards the bus and leaves.
However, something dawns over Cheong-seob as he runs behind the bus and chases it as if he will never get this opportunity again. When Life Gives You Tangerines episode 12 ends with it, leaving viewers on the edge.
When Life Gives You Tangerines Volume 4 consists of episodes 13 to 16. This will mark the finale part of the Netflix ongoing series starring IU, Park Bo-gum, Kim Seon-ho, Lee Jun-young, Moon So-ri, and Park Hae-joon.
