Kim Seon-ho’s Girlfriend in ‘When Life Gives You Tangerines’? Fans Shocked by Her Real Identity

As Netflix’s When Life Gives You Tangerines (폭싹 속았수다) gears up for its final arc release on March 28, viewers are buzzing over a surprise revelation: the actress playing Kim Seon-ho’s on-screen girlfriend has been none other than Jung Yi-seo.

Jung, who plays “Boo-seon,” the daughter of the boarding house owner and love interest of Kim Seon-ho’s character Choon-seop, stunned fans when she revealed her identity via Instagram. Sharing behind-the-scenes photos in full makeup, she captioned them, “Boo-seon (is actually just good makeup),” sparking surprise and admiration from fans who didn’t recognize her at first due to the dramatic transformation from her usual pure and soft image.

Fans flooded the comments with reactions like, “Didn’t recognize her at all,” “Boo-seon is iconic,” and “Makeup really transformed her—I thought it was someone else entirely!”

Jung Yi-seo made her debut in the 2015 film Revolution and has since built an impressive filmography with appearances in Parasite, Samjin Company English Class, Decision to Leave, and series like Mine, Jirisan, Snowdrop, and All of Us Are Dead. Her role in When Life Gives You Tangerines adds another unique character to her diverse acting résumé.

When Life Gives You Tangerines first premiered on March 7 and unfolds across four acts representing the seasons. Set in 1960s Jeju, the story follows the adventurous lives of rebel girl Ae-soon (IU) and loyal iron-hearted Gwan-sik (Park Bo-gum). The series, written by When the Camellia Blooms' Im Sang-chun and directed by My Mister's Kim Won-seok, has captivated audiences with its nostalgic setting and emotional storytelling.

Each act has been released weekly, with the spring segment (Episodes 1–4) followed by summer (5–8), fall (9–12), and now the final winter arc (13–16), set to stream globally this Friday.

The trailer teases emotional final moments, including a wedding dress-clad Geum-myeong (IU) and the return of Yeong-beom (Lee Jun-young), raising questions about whether first love will triumph in the end. Meanwhile, adult versions of Geum-myeong and Eun-myeong (Kang You-seok) face conflict and emotional turmoil—yet there's a lingering sense of hope as they look toward a new spring.

Scenes of Gwan-sik encouraging his daughter, and a heartfelt moment between elderly Ae-soon and Gwan-sik under blooming cherry blossoms, promise a finale filled with warmth, closure, and emotional resonance.

The final act of When Life Gives You Tangerines premieres March 28, exclusively on Netflix.