Interest in Jeju Cultural Content Surges After Broadcast
Focus Shifts from Travel Destination to Jeju Stories
Jeju Tourism Organization Publishes "Jeju Travel Through Data - When Life Gives You Tangerines Edition"
Netflix drama "When Life Gives You Tangerines" starring IU (Oh Aesoon) and Park Bogum (Yang Gwansik). Netflix
The Netflix drama "When Life Gives You Tangerines," set in Jeju, has sparked increased interest in Jeju culture following its broadcast. While there have been several dramas set in Jeju before, this series has been praised for authentically capturing the everyday sentiments of the island, which appears to have resonated with viewers.
On June 30, the Jeju Special Self-Governing Province and the Jeju Tourism Organization published "Jeju Travel Through Data - When Life Gives You Tangerines Edition," an analysis of changes in interest in Jeju cultural content following the drama's release. This edition analyzes how the drama content has influenced the region's image and tourism trends, using social media data and navigation data.
According to the analysis of related keywords, "When Life Gives You Tangerines" conveyed the charm of Jeju in a different way compared to previous Jeju-based dramas such as "Welcome to Samdalri" and "Our Blues." The earlier works mainly featured keywords related to filming locations like Ojo Port, Andol Oreum, Gwangchigi Beach, Gapado, Biyangdo, and the Five-Day Market, reflecting a tendency to consume Jeju primarily as a travel destination.
In contrast, "When Life Gives You Tangerines" featured many keywords reflecting Jeju's unique culture and sentiments, such as "Jeju," "Seongsan Ilchulbong," "canola flower field," as well as "haenyeo" (female divers), "dialect," "culture," and "period drama," thus presenting Jeju as a place centered on stories.
Interest in "haenyeo" in particular surged again starting from the drama's release. Mentions of "haenyeo" averaged about 5,000 in January and February 2025, just before the broadcast, but jumped to 7,460 in March-a roughly 41% increase. The numbers remained high, with 6,791 mentions in April and 7,072 in May.
A commemorative performance is being held at the "Jeju Haenyeo Photo Special Exhibition Commemorative Event" held at the Seoul City Hall Citizen's Hall in 2019. Photo by Asia Economy
The related keywords also shifted from being centered on "food" and "restaurants" to more emotional words such as "mother," "life," and "story," highlighting a trend in which haenyeo are being re-recognized as a cultural symbol of Jeju.
As the unique speech and expressions of Jeju featured in the drama became a topic of conversation, interest in the Jeju dialect also grew. On YouTube, 26 videos about the Jeju dialect were uploaded in March 2025 and 32 in April 2025. In particular, in April alone, the cumulative number of views reached approximately 2.2 million, indicating that curiosity about the Jeju language is spreading through content.
Interest in key filming locations such as Gimnyeong Beach and Jejumokgwana also increased. The number of vehicle arrivals at Gimnyeong Beach rose from 2,442 in January and February 2025 (just before the broadcast) to 4,775 in March and April 2025 (immediately after the broadcast), an increase of about 96%. Online mentions also increased by about 43%, from 1,814 to 2,602. Similarly, Jejumokgwana saw vehicle arrivals rise by about 75%, from 198 to 347, and mentions increase by about 45%, from 514 to 744.
The view of Baengnokdam, the crater lake of Hallasan Mountain in Jeju, as seen from an airplane. Photo by Asia Economy Database
A representative of the Jeju Tourism Organization stated, "'When Life Gives You Tangerines' is content that authentically captures not only Jeju's natural beauty but also its history and the lives of its people, providing an opportunity to reimagine Jeju as a place rich with stories and emotions." The representative added, "The drama made it into Netflix's global non-English Top 10 series in more than 40 countries, including South Korea, resonating with many people both domestically and internationally, and greatly contributing to raising global awareness of Jeju."
The representative also said, "We will continue to create content that captures Jeju's unique charm and strengthen global marketing efforts to connect such content to tourism."
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