"When Life Gives You Tangerines" IU opened up about her feelings regarding the "left IU controversy."

On the morning of the 2nd, an interview with IU, the lead actress of Netflix's "When Life Gives You Tangerines," took place at the Ambassador Seoul Pulman Grand Ballroom in Jung-gu, Seoul.

The Netflix original series "When Life Gives You Tangerines" unfolds the life filled with adventures of 'desirable rebel' Ae-sun (played by IU) and 'unruly man of iron' Kwan-sik (played by Park Bo-gum) over four seasons, starting from the 1960s on Jeju Island. Produced by writer Lim Sang-chun, known for her relatable and warm storytelling seen in works like "When the Camellia Blooms" and "Fight for My Way," and director Kim Won-seok, who has brought empathy and comfort in his projects including "My Mister," "Signal," and "Misaeng," the series had a production budget of about 600 billion won. IU, Park Bo-gum, Moon So-ri, Park Hae-joon, Yeom Hye-ran, Oh Jung-se, Kim Sun-ho, Lee Joon-young, and Kang Mal-geum are notable cast members.

This time, Netflix's unconventional scheduling stood out compared to their previous practice of releasing all episodes at once. It presented the first act (episodes 1-4) encapsulating spring on the 7th of last month, followed by a total of 16 episodes released in four weeks, four episodes each week. The series rose to the top of the global top 10 series (non-English) category in the third week of its release, and after the fourth act release, it recorded 6,000,000 views (the total viewing time divided by the total running time of the work), achieving third place in the global top 10 series (non-English) category.

IU portrayed both the young Ae-sun in her teenage years and her married life with Kwan-sik in her twenties, as well as the middle-aged Ae-sun and her daughter Geum-myeong. Notably, in the first act, the adorable chemistry between IU and Park Bo-gum garnered explosive responses, but while IU appeared throughout the fourth act, Park Bo-gum's presence significantly diminished after the second act, leading to discussions about 'lack of screen time.'

This year, in addition to "When Life Gives You Tangerines," IU is actively working as an actress, filming MBC's "21st Century Grand Prince's Wife" (working title) alongside Byun Woo-seok.

On this day, IU expressed her gratitude toward the public, stating, "It would be a lie to say I’ve never felt misunderstood by rumors, but while I have received this much love for so long, especially when I perform or work on projects, I sometimes struggle to digest the feedback. However, I appreciate that, and it’s significant to me that people view me more favorably than I see myself."

Previously, IU gained attention for pre-purchasing 200 pieces of bread, 200 drinks, and 200 bowls of soup for fans attending the rally demanding President Yoon Suk-yeol's impeachment in December of last year in Yeouido, Seoul.

However, some supporters of President Yoon Suk-yeol have advocated for a boycott of IU's advertising brands or created a list in favor of impeachment, leading to controversy. Additionally, some netizens have constructed a political frame called 'left IU' (leftist + IU).

In response, IU remarked, "The expression 'upset' isn’t entirely inaccurate, but I have never directly seen such videos or anything like that. I’ve never thought, 'Why is it only happening to me?' I guess I need to deal with that aspect. In some ways, it signifies that I am receiving much attention. When did I become someone who draws such interest, good or bad?"

She continued, "I tend to think in that direction. However, if there are overly serious expressions or if a company position requires addressing something to prevent any significant misunderstanding, I believe regulation is necessary. I don't tend to think, 'Is it only happening to me?'."

[Photo] Provided by Netflix

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