Set in Jeju, filmed across Korea
When Life Gives You Tangerines (폭싹 속았수다) follows Ae-sun (IU, later Moon So-ri) and Gwan-sik (Park Bo-gum, later Park Hae-joon), born in 1950s Jeju. It is set in Jeju, but much of it was filmed elsewhere: Visit Jeju itself notes that the drama’s old Jeju scenes were shot on a set in another region. That 1950s village was built in North Gyeongsang and has since been taken down; see our guide to the mainland locations.
The places below are real Jeju spots that Visit Jeju (the Jeju Tourism Organization) and the press name as filming locations. Gimnyeong Beach and Seongsan Ilchulbong are confirmed by both; the others are reported by one source.
East coast
Visit Jeju and Chosun both place scenes of young Ae-sun and Gwan-sik, and of the haenyeo divers, on the Gimnyeong coast in Gujwa-eup. Visit Jeju also says Seongsan Ilchulbong and its canola fields appear often in the childhood scenes.
Around Jeju City and the west coast
Visit Jeju names Jeju Stone Park for the stone-walled paths young Ae-sun runs along, the Dogurial tidal pool for a confrontation between Eun-myeong and Hyun-sook, and Saengigijeong on Olle Trail 12 for a talk between the older Ae-sun and Gwan-sik. Chosun names Jeju Mokgwana in central Jeju City for the writing-contest scene, and in 2025 the province held a real writing contest there modeled on it.
Getting there
Jeju is an island — fly in. The Seoul Gimpo (GMP) ↔ Jeju (CJU) route is the world’s busiest domestic air route, with 90+ daily nonstops taking about 1h15m. One-way fares typically range ₩30,000–100,000 depending on airline and how far ahead you book; check current prices when planning. Airlines include Korean Air, Asiana, Jeju Air, Jin Air, Air Busan, and T’way (now Trinity Airways). Book 2–4 weeks ahead for the best fares; budget carriers charge extra for checked baggage. From Busan Gimhae (PUS), flights to Jeju take about 1h.
From Jeju Airport or Jeju City, search each route on Naver Map (English UI).
Sources
All sources for this guide
Accessed Sep 28, 2026 (Asia/Seoul) unless noted.
- Visit Jeju — When Life Gives You Tangerines theme trip (English)
- Visit Jeju — Theme trip (Korean)
- Chosun Ilbo English — Jeju welcomes visitors to When Life Gives You Tangerines filming spots (Mar 17, 2025)
- Kyunghyang Shinmun — Writing contest at Jeju Mokgwana (Jun 25, 2025)
