Understanding Korean Culture Through “When Life Gives You Tangerines”
Understanding Korean Culture Through “When Life Gives You Tangerines”
Ever watched a Korean drama and felt like you were missing something beneath the surface? If you’ve started “When Life Gives You Tangerines,” you’re not alone—there’s so much more than meets the eye.
Set on post-war Jeju Island, this drama is rich with traditional Korean values, dialects, and social structures that might surprise Western viewers. But with the right lens, it becomes not just a drama—but a cultural journey.
Table of Contents
The Unspoken Language: Honorifics and Hidden Respect
One of the most noticeable elements in Korean culture—especially in period dramas like "When Life Gives You Tangerines"—is the honorific speech system. It’s a nuanced, almost invisible layer of communication that indicates respect, status, and relationship. Aesun, the main character, switches between formal and informal speech depending on who she’s speaking to. While Korean viewers instinctively understand this shift in tone, it’s a subtle art lost in translation. In English subtitles, all lines may appear equally polite or blunt, but in Korean, every word reflects hierarchy, age, or closeness. The drama’s title itself—“폭싹 속았수다”—uses Jeju dialect’s honorific "-수다" ending, which doesn’t exist in standard Korean or English. It can mean “thank you for your hard work,” yet sounds like “I’ve been completely fooled” to outsiders. It’s a prime example of how Korean language carries emotional and cultural undertones that subtitles alone can’t capture.
Kneeling and Obeying: The Power of 효 (Filial Piety)
| Korean Custom | Western Perspective |
|---|---|
| Aesun kneels and cries in front of her grandmother | Seen as overly submissive or dramatic |
| Geummyeong quietly accepts scolding from elders | Could seem like a lack of self-respect |
| Waiting for elders to start eating first | Uncommon or even confusing |
These customs are all rooted in the deeply Confucian value of 효 (hyo), or filial piety. In Korea, obeying parents and showing humility to elders is seen as a moral duty, even when it seems unfair. It’s not about blind obedience—it’s about prioritizing harmony and family structure. To Western eyes, this can feel stifling, even heartbreaking. But to Korean viewers, it’s a language of love and sacrifice passed down through generations.
Who Raises the Child? Understanding Korean Family Structure
- Aesun is raised by her paternal uncle’s family, not her birth mother.
- Her mother, Gwangrye, lives with another man without remarrying—socially taboo at the time.
- Bloodline and economic responsibility dictated where a child belonged.
Western viewers may instinctively ask, “Why didn’t she live with her mom?” But in 1950s Korea, especially in rural Jeju, family honor, lineage, and social norms played dominant roles. The drama doesn't just show cold-hearted relatives—it shows how poverty, shame, and cultural duty shaped decisions that seem baffling today.
When Love Isn’t Enough: Marriage and Parental Authority
Imagine dating someone for seven years, dreaming of a future together—only to have it crushed because your partner’s mother says no. That’s exactly what happens to Geummyeong and Yeongbeom in the drama. For many Western viewers, this can be shocking. In modern Western society, marriage is typically about the couple's choice. But in traditional Korean culture, it was about uniting two families. Parents, especially mothers of sons, had the final say. Yeongbeom’s mother doesn’t dislike Geummyeong because she’s unkind or uneducated—she just doesn’t approve. And in the world of “효 (hyo),” that’s all it takes. Yeongbeom ultimately obeys his mother, choosing duty over love. This storyline, heartbreaking as it is, reflects a time when individual happiness was often sacrificed for parental respect and family reputation.
Rank Over Reason: Social Hierarchy in Daily Life
| Scene | Cultural Implication |
|---|---|
| Aesun wins class election, but the teacher overrides it | Status (military family) outweighs democratic vote |
| Aesun confronts her husband’s abusive superior | Her husband is fired—challenging authority has consequences |
| Village elders’ words go unchallenged | Reflects the deeply rooted concept of “윗사람 (superior)” |
In Korean society—especially in the 1960s—hierarchy was everything. Teachers, elders, and bosses held unquestioned authority. “When Life Gives You Tangerines” captures this structure perfectly, often frustrating Western viewers who expect justice or fairness. But in that world, keeping one’s place, even at the cost of personal dignity, was often seen as necessary for survival. This vertical order wasn’t just about submission—it was about cohesion. It was believed that if everyone respected the chain of command, society stayed in balance.
Why It Matters: Bridging Korean Traditions and Western Viewers
- Understanding honorifics helps grasp the emotional weight of conversations.
- Recognizing filial piety explains why characters obey even unfair commands.
- Learning the societal norms of marriage and hierarchy gives context to otherwise confusing plot points.
Thankfully, the younger generation in the drama starts to question these norms, reflecting the real cultural shifts that began to take root in Korea by the late 20th century. So if Western viewers stick with it, they’ll see not only tradition—but transformation.
In traditional Korean culture, kneeling is a sign of utmost humility, sincerity, or desperation. When Aesun kneels before her grandmother, it’s not just dramatic—it's an intense gesture of asking for forgiveness or approval, deeply rooted in filial piety.
Yeongbeom’s mother opposed the relationship, and in Korean tradition, particularly back then, parental approval was non-negotiable. Children were expected to prioritize their family's wishes over personal desire—especially when it came to marriage.
In post-war Korea, especially in rural areas like Jeju, lineage and family name mattered greatly. Since Aesun’s mother was living in a cohabiting relationship (not formally remarried), it was seen as socially inappropriate to raise a child in that situation. The paternal family claimed responsibility, even if the care was lacking.
Literally, it might be translated as “I was completely fooled,” but in context, it’s an idiomatic Jeju phrase expressing exhaustion, hardship, or gratitude. It uses the Jeju honorific “-수다,” adding a layer of local color and emotion that doesn’t cleanly translate to standard Korean or English.
Korea has long held Confucian values, which emphasize order, seniority, and respect for rank. Teachers, bosses, elders—these roles carried unspoken power. Questioning them wasn’t just rude—it could mean social ruin. That’s why even injustice often went unchallenged in that era.
Yes. As the story progresses, younger characters like Geummyeong begin to challenge unfair traditions. It reflects the real-life evolution of Korean society—from strict collectivism toward a more individual-centered mindset.
“When Life Gives You Tangerines” isn’t just a beautiful period drama—it’s a living window into the heart of Korean tradition. If you’re coming from a Western perspective, the family rules, the unspoken respect, the emotional restraint, and the hierarchy might feel foreign or even frustrating at first. But look closer. There’s something deeply human behind every bow, every silent sacrifice, every tear swallowed for the sake of harmony.
As viewers, the more we understand the world behind the subtitles, the more we can appreciate not just what happens—but why it hurts, why it heals, and why it matters. So next time Aesun lowers her head or Geummyeong stays quiet in the face of injustice, know it’s not weakness—it’s legacy. And that legacy, as the drama so beautifully shows, is slowly, painfully evolving.
What moments moved you the most in "When Life Gives You Tangerines"? Did any cultural details surprise you or make you think twice? Let’s talk in the comments—because shared stories build bridges.
Tags: Kdrama Culture, When Life Gives You Tangerines, Jeju Dialect, Filial Piety, Korean Hierarchy, Honor ificSpeech, Confucian Culture, Korean Drama Analysis, Generation al Conflict, Cross Cultural Under standing
