The recent success of the drama When Life Gives You Tangerines, starring IU and Park Bo-gum, not only ranked in Netflix’s Top 10 for nine straight weeks, but also sparked a global interest in Jeju’s landscapes and slower pace of life. While the drama was airing, Google searches for “Jeju travel” went up by 30%, hotels in Seogwipo reported a booking spike of 4–5%, and filming locations from the drama were flooded with fans.
Now, that momentum is turning into something even bigger. On May 16, 2025, Jeju Special Self-Governing Province made history by teaming up with Netflix through a one-year official partnership. It’s the first of its kind in South Korea and will support more filming on the island, encourage collaboration with local creators, provide funding, and make it easier for productions to settle in. It’s a meaningful moment that signals Jeju’s growing role in the future of Korean storytelling, one that resonates deeply with global audiences.
And for Korean drama fans, this news isn’t just about more shows being set on the island. It’s about deepening the connection between the stories we love and the places where they come to life. At Noona’s Noonchi, we’ve already been exploring that connection through our Jeju + Seoul K-Drama Healing Tours. From When Life Gives You Tangerines to Welcome to Samdal-ri, we visit the real filming locations where the most moving moments were captured. So, with more productions in the works, the list of spots we explore may grow even longer.
"When Life Gives You Tangerines" filming location: Jeju-mok Government Office
The filming location for all your favorite High School K-Dramas (and probably the place that has seen the most love letter confessions ever in the entire K-Drama history).
"Welcome to Samdal-ri" filming location: Cho Sam-dal's (Shin Hye-sun) family house
Not just that, imagine joining our Jeju tour and standing in the exact place where next year’s favorite drama couple falls in love — way before the rest of the world even sees it. That’s the kind of magic this partnership could bring. Jeju is no longer just a backdrop. It’s becoming a character in its own right. And for those of us who travel to feel, not just to see, that’s something worth getting excited about.
