Recently released on Netflix, the makers of the K-drama When Life Gives You Tangerines have seemingly found themselves in trouble. Having shattered all records globally, the Lee Ji-eun, popularly known as IU, and Park Bo-gum starrer made waves on social media with snippets from the show going viral, netizens recreating scenes for their handles, and the audiences resonating with the plot. While it is one of the most-watched shows today, the makers are making headlines for all the wrong reasons.
Several members of the extended cast and crew have accused the makers of inhumane and irresponsible treatment of the extras during the shoot. Recently, a netizen took to their X (formerly known as Twitter) handle and claimed that the production team of the South Korean drama manhandled their props and damaged them. They explained that they were on to set to “keep an eye on them” as they had “zero skills to operate the retro buses or large props that we rented or made for them.” “They were either ignorant or irresponsible. Of course, we took photos of it all and made claims later,” the tweet further read.
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The post went on to open a can of worms as the netizen pointed out the not-so-suitable working conditions on the sets of When Life Gives You Tangerines. Sharing the horrific conditions in which they worked as extras on the sets, a user claimed in their tweet, “They forced extras to shave their heads, and despite being a Netflix production, nothing was provided. They didn’t want to spend money on anyone else appearing on the show but the main actors, so they tried to scrimp and save.”
According to the Free Press Journal report, the post went on to share that the makers “neglected the elderly extras in the cold winter and made people starve without providing a food truck or craft table.” They were sent to a “random restaurant” and were told to finish their food within 30 minutes.
“They told us costumes would be provided, but didn’t allow us to wear insulating inner wear. They said that it would ruin the fit of the costumes, but it’s in the dead of winter. Who would even notice extras in the background? They really treated us like slaves,” the post concluded.
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Well, as soon as the accusations were made, netizens began slamming Netflix for the behind-the-scenes mistreatment of staff. While the lead cast is yet to react to the controversy, Netflix has issued an official statement, promising that a thorough investigation will be conducted into the matter. They said, “We are working closely with our Korean production partners to improve working conditions and will thoroughly review the facts to prevent similar issues in the future.”
For those who don’t know, When Life Gives You Tangerines is set against the picturesque landscapes of Jeju Island. It weaves a tale spanning from the 1950s to 2024. Following the journey of Oh Ae-sun (played by IU), who is wholeheartedly supported by her husband Yang Gwan-sik (portrayed by Park Bo-gum), the story goes on to tell the story of their ever-growing family and how their love perseveres through all four seasons. The show also stars Moon So-ri, Park Hae-joon, Kim Seon-ho, and others in pivotal roles.