Like Netflix “When life gives you mandarins” He continues to top graphs throughout Asia and fascinate the global audience, an emotional background of real life behind the drama is adding an even deeper meaning to his sincere narrative. The beloved Ae-Soon (played by IU) and Gwan-Sik characters (played by Park Bo-Gum) are, in fact, based on a real life pair of the island of Jeju, whose long-lasting love and resilience touched the spectators in ways that even the screenplay could not completely capture.
From episode one, attentive spectators may have noticed a subtle clue: the name “Hong Kyung-Ja” written on a Tewak, a traditional floating device used by the women of Jeju or Haenyeo. Far from a random detail, this was a tribute to the real woman who inspired the character of Ae-Soon.
Born in 1950 on the island of Jeju, Hong Kyung-Ja endured a life of difficulty and quiet strength that reflects and even exceeds, the journey of Ae-Soon in the drama. In an exclusive interview with the Korean media, Hong recalled that he had lost his mother at the age of five and assumed the role of caregiver for his younger brothers.
“My childhood was spent on my sister, immersing me at sea to capture the octopus and selling them to the market so you can buy snacks for her”, He shared.
Unlike the drama, which depicts Ae-Soon who lives with a stepfather, Hong was raised by a stepmother and took care of eight younger brothers. “They told me I couldn’t go to middle school. I cried and fought for the possibility”, “ he said. “I would always be late or absent because I had to cook and feed my brothers before going to school. This was my reality.”
Its love story is also parallel to the series in breathtaking detail. Hong married his childhood friend, a man who grew up immersing herself next to her for Bream Sea and Octopus. They came out for six years before getting married, and like Gwan-Sik, her husband remained his greatest supporter for a lifetime, even encouraging her when she became the leader of their village.
In 2002, the Jeju Ywca honored it with the “Beautiful Husban Award” to “build a harmonious family with love and devotion”. The couple continued to raise two children and a daughter and built a life that many say is even more moving than shown on the screen.
Tragically, Hong’s husband died seven years ago, a loss that adds a touching layer to the plot of the drama. Fans, now emotionally invested in the parallels of real life, have expressed concern for the fact that the show can follow the same sweet and sour path, wondering if Gwan-Sik, like his counterpart of real life, could pass in front of AE-Soon.
The true story behind “When life gives you mandarins” It is of resilience, love and peaceful heroism, a narrative that reminds the spectators that sometimes the most touching stories are not written in the scripts, but lived in silence, in the waves of the island of Jeju. perspective on the show. It is not just a well -written drama; It is a tribute to truly lived lives.
