When Life Gives You Tangerines: 폭싹 속았수다
When Life Gives You Tangerines is a 2025 Korean romance Netflix series. The story begins in Jeju in 1951, Ae-sun and Gwan-sik’s island story blossoms into a lifelong tale of setbacks and triumphs, proving that love endures across time.
Jeju Island, located at a latitude of 33–34 degrees north, is the southernmost region of South Korea. Because of this, spring arrives earlier here than in other parts of the country. The title When Life Gives You Tangerines is a play on the proverb “When life gives you lemons, make lemonade,” adapted to reflect Jeju Island’s signature crop, tangerines, and the theme of resilience in the face of adversity.
The Korean title of When Life Gives You Tangerines is 폭싹 속았수다[Pok-ssak Sok-at-su-da]. This expression originates from the Jeju dialect. As Jeju is an island separated from the mainland, its dialect has developed in a way that makes it difficult to understand for those unfamiliar with it. To outsiders, 폭싹 속았수다 may sound like “I was completely fooled” or “I was tricked badly,” which would be the literal interpretation of 폭싹(meaning “completely” or “thoroughly”) and 속았다(meaning “to be deceived”). However, the actual meaning is 수고 많으셨습니다[Su-go man-eu-syeot-sseum-ni-da].
‘수고 많으셨습니다’ is translated as ‘Thank you for your hard work.’ However, this translation does not fully capture its meaning. The expression ‘수고 많으셨습니다’(or ‘폭싹 속았수다’) can be used to acknowledge someone’s efforts after completing a difficult task, but in the context of this drama, ‘폭싹 속았수다’ carries a deeper, more complex meaning. It’s not just about thanking someone for their hard work, but expressing recognition of the struggles and sacrifices they’ve made throughout the journey together. It’s a way of saying, ‘I know how much you’ve endured and sacrificed, and I’m grateful for it.’
The expression ‘폭싹 속았수다’ evokes an image of an elderly couple, sitting together watching the sunset, holding hands and comforting each other with this single phrase. Without needing to explain the details of their past, they already understand the sacrifices they have made for each other. This phrase carries a deep meaning, similar to saying “I know what you’ve been through” or “I understand your sacrifices.” While When Life Gives You Tangerines cleverly twists a proverb to create a witty title, I believe the title that best fits a drama about family values is 폭싹 속았수다[Pok-ssak Sok-at-suda].