“He’s someone who expresses his love through action. I think Gwan-sik is a truly admirable character,” said actor Park Bo-gum, who plays the role of Gwan-sik in the Netflix drama When Life Gives You Tangerines.
The series continues to strike a chord with viewers, unfolding raw and tender stories of life each week. Since its release, it has topped Netflix’s TV show rankings in South Korea and ranked No. 4 globally as of Mar. 24, according to streaming analytics platform FlixPatrol. While the story centers on Ae-soon, a girl from Jeju Island that spans generations from her grandmother to her daughter, another character drawing attention is her husband, Gwan-sik. As Ae-soon’s unwavering companion, Gwan-sik has captured audiences with his quiet, steadfast devotion. One scene that especially resonated with viewers shows Gwan-sik turning away from an all-male dinner table to sit beside Ae-soon—a quiet but powerful act that defied old South Korean norms, where men typically did not eat alongside women. Viewers dubbed the moment his “silent revolution.””
His love is not declared in words but deeply felt in action. As a young man living hand-to-mouth, Gwan-sik carries the burden of supporting his family—his face often pale from exhaustion. Yet through this quiet resilience, he ensures his family is fed. Few could understand the character more intimately than the actor himself. When asked during a Mar. 24 interview whether he found Gwan-sik pitiful, Park firmly rejected the idea—three times. “Rather than pitiful, I saw Gwan-sik as someone filled with happiness. He wanted to give everything to his family and wished only for their well-being. I never once thought of him as someone to be pitied,” he said.
Although Park is widely known as a youth icon, this role left no room for glamour. Wearing tattered clothes and sporting a sun-darkened complexion, Gwan-sik is so inarticulate that another character jokes he might be possessed by “the ghost of a dead cow.” Yet, despite his lack of words, he won over audiences. In an era where male leads are often defined by exceptional talent or charisma, Gwan-sik’s appeal marks a quiet break from convention. “He doesn’t speak much or show many expressions, but he knows how to love,” Park said. “Even as a boy with a shaved head, he gives Ae-soon a hairpin or saves her a piece of grilled croaker. I think what resonated with viewers was that Gwan-sik, having grown up surrounded by love, knew how to pass that love on.”
As the story moves forward in time, the younger Gwan-sik portrayed by Park is succeeded by actor Park Hae-joon, who takes on the role in middle age. Though Park Bo-gum’s screen time is limited, he said he felt honored simply to be part of the production. He also revealed he is a longtime fan of screenwriter Lim Sang-choon. What stood out most to him about the drama was its portrayal of adults who step up to protect the vulnerable. He recalled one particularly emotional scene in which the residents of Dodong-ri—the village where Ae-soon and Gwan-sik live—come together to provide food and clothing when the couple falls on hard times. “The scene where they lose their youngest child, Dong-myung, really stayed with me,” he said. “You could feel the depth of the community’s care. It reminded me of my own grandmother and aunt. I was genuinely moved while filming it. I hope the show inspires people to become good individuals, good elders, and good family members, just like the characters in the story.”
Park described When Life Gives You Tangerines as a drama where every character is a protagonist and one that gently tells its audience, “You’ve endured a lot” and “You’ve done well.” “There’s a scene between Na Moon-hee, who plays Ae-soon’s grandmother, and Yum Hye-ran, who plays her mother, where despite everything they’ve been through, they describe life as a picnic. That line really stayed with me,” he said. “If this show can offer viewers a moment to embrace life as a kind of picnic, that would be the greatest gift.”
