14 scene-stealing cameos in ‘When Life Gives You Tangerines’

Oh Sung-je, whom you may know from the hit K-Drama It’s Okay to Not Be Okay, plays Ae-sum’s feckless father. He pops in and out in the earlier volumes of When Life Gives You Tangerines, and—as one might expect from one of South Korea’s most celebrated character actors—he makes the most of his scenes.

Where you’ve seen him before: It’s Okay to Not Be Okay

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You’ll likely remember her as the icy antagonist in Little Women, and in Tangerines, she once again treads the line between tension and empathy. As Ae-sun’s stepmother, Na Min-ok is far more complex than she first appears.

Where you’ve seen her before: Little Women, The Phone, Jung_E

Eagle-eyed fans were quick to recognise the rising young actor from The Atypical Family and Castaway Diva playing the teenage version of Yang Gwan-sik. He barely had any screen time—mostly just appearing in a montage of Gwan-sik selling Ae-sun’s cabbages at the market—but many were thrilled to see him in the biggest K-drama of the year. 

Where you’ve seen him before: It’s Okay to Not Be Okay, Atypical Family, Castaway Diva, Unmasked

See also: Park Eun-bin’s top 7 roles that prove the K-drama queen’s versatility and range

Kang Mal-geum, another popular character actor in K-dramas, plays the shady motel owner who scams Ae-sun and Gwan-sik in Busan. Although she is almost unrecognisable in the role, fans may remember her from The Good Bad Mother and the more recent Gyeongseong Creature, where she played Yoon Chae-ok's (Han So-hee) mother. 

Where you’ve seen her before: Thirty Nine, The Red Sleeve, The Good Bad Mother, Gyeongseong Creature

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Scene stealer Seo Hye-won of Business Proposal and Lovely Runner fame plays Ae-sun’s young sister-in-law and once again proves that, no matter the size of the role, she knows how to give a memorable turn.

Where you’ve seen her before: Business Proposal, Alchemy of Souls, Lovely Runner, Love Scout

See also: 3 things to know about ‘Lovely Runner’

You may remember Byeon Seo-yun best in her role as the self-serving teacher from Hierarchy. Here, she plays Bu Sang-gil’s (Choi Dae-hoon) unfortunate and infinitely patient young wife, Park Young-ran. 

Where you’ve seen her before: Police University, Moonshine, Hierarchy

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Whether it’s gutting squid at the market or running a successful restaurant, Lee Mi-do’s Mi-suk keeps trying to position herself as Ae-sun’s rival, to the latter’s endless amusement. It’s a small but recurring role and Lee Mi-do manages to make the most of it. 

Where you’ve seen him before: 18 Again, The Judge from Hell

If the pink tracksuit didn’t tip you off, the expressive eyes might have. Kim Soo-ahn, best known as Gong Yoo’s daughter in Train to Busan, plays a precocious student tutored by Geum-myeong.

Where you’ve seen her before: Poong, The Joseon Psychiatrist, The Battleship Island, Along with the Gods: The Two Worlds, Train to Busan

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As Oh Jenny’s con artist mother, Kim Keum-soon adds a layer of sly humour to the drama. Her knack for morally ambiguous roles is on full display, as it was in The Atypical Family and Love Next Door.

Where you’ve seen her before: The Atypical Family, Love Next Door, Squid Game season 2, Unmasked

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Famous for playing dads in K-dramas such as Fight for My Way, All of Us Are Dead, and Extraordinary Attorney Woo, Jeon Bae-su plays Geum-myeong’s strict boarding house landlord in When Life Gives You Tangerines. 

Where you’ve seen him before: Fight for My Way, All of Us Are Dead, Extraordinary Attorney Woo, Queen of Tears, Undercover High School

With her big ’90s hair and makeup, you might have not clocked Jung Yi-seo playing Song Bu-seon, the daughter of Geum-myeong’s boarding house landlord and Park Chung-seob’s (Kim Seon-ho) ex girlfriend. 

Where you’ve seen her before: Mine, Snowdrop, All of Us Are Dead, A Killer Paradox

Lee Bong-Ryun has a memorable turn as the exasperated nurse who witnesses Geum-yeong and Park Yeong-beom’s very public display of affection in the hospital, where she also has a short but sweet reunion with former Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha co-star Kim Seon-ho. 

Where you’ve seen her before: Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha, Crash Course in Romance, Destined with You

Don’t miss: 7 Things You May Not Know About 'Hometown Cha Cha Cha' Actor, Kim Seon-Ho

In a heartwarming cameo, Kim Sung-ryoung plays a glamorous actress who helps Ae-sun and Gwan-sik’s struggling business—an act of gratitude for a kindness once shown to her.

Where you’ve seen her before: The Frog, A Virtuous Business, The Heirs

The famous child actor from When the Camellia Blooms and Racket Boys is all grown up and, in a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it cameo, plays Ae-sun’s teenage grandson. His screen time may be brief, but he does deliver one of the drama’s more amusing lines, poking fun at his grandma Ae-sun’s “cheat code.”

Where you’ve seen him before: When the Camellia Blooms, Kingdom season 2, Mouse, Racket Boys

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