Netflix hit series ‘When Life Gives You Tangerines’ swept the 2025 APAN Awards, emerging as the night’s biggest winner with six awards. The ceremony was held at the Dongdaemun Design Plaza in Seoul. The APAN Star Awards are South Korea’s only integrated drama awards, with content across broadcast, cable, OTT, and web dramas being eligible. The awards were hosted by actor Kim Seung-woo and broadcaster Park Seon-young.
The widely acclaimed series won Best Drama while director Kim Won-seok took home the Best Director award. In addition, IU earned the Grand Prize (Daesang) for her compelling performance as Ae Sun and Geum-myeong. Other wins for the drama included Best New Actor for Kang You-seok, who portrayed IU’s brother. He also won the award for his role as Um Jae-il in Resident Playbook. The child actors Kim Tae-yeon and Lee Cheon-moo received Youth Actor Awards for their performances.
A Stellar Year for IU
The year has been significant for IU as it is her second Daesang win for ‘When Life Gives You Tangerines’. She previously won the honour at the Asia Artists Awards. In her acceptance speech, she shared, “Being part of When Life Gives You Tangerines alone feels like a badge of honor. It’s a precious project I’ll always be proud of.” She also thanked her co-actors which includes Kim Yong-rim, Moon So-ri, Park Bo-gum, and Kang You-seok. Currently, she is starring in her upcoming project, ‘Perfect Crown,’ alongside Byun Woo-seok.
‘When Life Gives You Tangerines’ Heartwarming Tale
‘When Life Gives You Tangerines’ was one of the best K-dramas of 2025. The show tells a slice-of-life story about Ae-sun (IU) and Gwan-sik (Park Bo-gum), following their decades-long relationship. Their journey is full of challenges, but their love stays strong. As one of the most memorable love stories to emerge this year, the drama portrays both their romance and the complex parent-child dynamic with realism. This Netflix original received widespread acclaim for its nuanced storytelling and attracted viewers beyond the usual K-drama fans. Both critics and fans praised the stellar performances, screenplay, cinematography, and direction of the drama. The beautiful shots of Jeju Island make it one of the most visually appealing and must-watch K-dramas of the year.
Other Standout Performances
Actor Lee Jun-Ho secured three awards, including the Top Excellence Award for Actor in a Miniseries for ‘Typhoon Family.’ Cha Joo-young was named Best Actress in a Mid-Length Drama for ‘The Queen Who Crowns’. Ahn Jae-wook and Uhm Ji-won received Best Actor and Best Actress in the Long-Form Drama category. Other notable wins included Lee Jun-young for Best Actor in a Mid-Length Drama, while Ha-young won Best New Actress.
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