Gwangju Theater in Donggu Draws Attention as Filming Location for Netflix's "When Life Gives You Tangerines"

The only single-screen theater in the country, Gwangju Theater, located in Donggu, Gwangju, has attracted attention as a filming location for the popular Netflix drama When Life Gives You Tangerines. Photo by Donggu Gwangju

Gwangju Theater, the only single-screen theater in the country, located in Donggu, Gwangju (headed by Lim Taek), has attracted attention as a filming location for the popular Netflix drama When Life Gives You Tangerines.

According to Donggu and other sources on March 25, in the online video service (OTT) drama When Life Gives You Tangerines, episodes 9 and 10 of Act 3, which are set in the early to mid-1990s, feature Gwangju Theater as the interior of Cannes Theater, where Geummyeong (IU), the daughter of Aesoon and Gwansik, works part-time at the ticket booth. Scenes such as Geummyeong's sweet reunion with her boyfriend Youngbeom (Lee Junyoung) in front of the theater screen, and artist Chungseop (Kim Seonho), who paints movie signboards, having a conversation with the theater owner, were filmed here in December 2023.

Located on Chungjang-ro in Donggu, Gwangju, Gwangju Theater is the oldest single-screen theater in Korea, having opened on October 1, 1935. As the theater is quite old, its facilities and equipment have also become outdated, threatening its continued operation. In response, Donggu is promoting the "100-Year Project for Korea's Oldest Single-Screen Theater, Gwangju Theater" through the Hometown Love Donation Program to preserve the theater.

This project aims to prepare Gwangju Theater for the next 100 years by preserving its cultural, artistic, and historical value, and developing it into a leading cultural space in Korea. Specifically, the project involves replacing outdated projectors, lighting, and seats to provide a better environment for citizens, as well as operating humanities programs that connect Gwangju Theater with tourism. Additionally, initiatives such as a movie signboard painting school for citizens and the creation of a Gwangju Theater archive are being pursued.

Through the Hometown Love Donation Program, Donggu, Gwangju raised approximately 84 million won in 2023 and 134 million won in 2024, with about 4.9 million won collected so far this year. Donggu, Gwangju plans to use these donations to revitalize Gwangju Theater, foster broader community engagement, enhance the status of Donggu as a city of humanities, and promote regional economic recovery by revitalizing the local commercial district near Gwangju Theater.

Lim Taek, head of Donggu District Office, said, "It is a deeply moving experience to see Gwangju Theater, a cultural asset of Donggu, featured in a Netflix drama and broadcast worldwide," adding, "We will continue to make every effort to ensure that citizens keep visiting Gwangju Theater in the future."