A Pure First Love Begins: A Confession in the Canola Fields
In When Life Gives You Tangerines Episode 2, Ae-sun and Gwan-sik are no longer the innocent children they once were. They now express their feelings in more mature and subtle ways. While Ae-sun insists she’ll only marry a man from Seoul, the fact that she leaves her hand in Gwan-sik’s pocket says otherwise. Despite her words, Gwan-sik shows his affection by giving her everything he has—powdered milk, fish, and whatever little he can offer. Their first hand-holding moment in the bright yellow canola fields is deeply symbolic, and Gwan-sik’s shy confession—saying he can’t even look at her face because all he sees is her sparkling lips—marks an emotional high point of the episode.
When Life Gives You Tangerines Episode 2
A Teen Couple’s Confession: “I’ve Been Ready Since I Was 14”
In response to Gwan-sik’s heartfelt words, Ae-sun shares that she’s been preparing for their kiss since the age of 14. They shared their very first kiss in the middle of the fragrant canola fields, a moment as innocent as it was unforgettable. Though she allows the kiss, Ae-sun bluntly says she has no plans to marry him. Still, considering Korean societal norms at the time, holding hands and kissing often implied an eventual marriage, especially for young women.
Ae-sun’s Harsh Reality: Factory Work Instead of University?
When Life Gives You Tangerines Episode 2
But their romantic moment doesn’t last long. Ae-sun’s dreams of going to university on the mainland crumble when her stepfather remarries. The man who once promised to support her education now brings home another woman and declares she’s pregnant. Forced to return to her birth family, Ae-sun finds no comfort there either. Her uncle tells her to stop dreaming and work at a metal factory in Busan to pay off debts owed by his son, the supposed heir of the family. When Ae-sun bitterly says, “Maybe it’s better to be born a cow than a woman in Jeju,” it reveals the brutal truth of how women were treated on the island during that era.
Running Away Together: Ae-sun and Gwan-sik Leave Jeju Behind
With nowhere left to go, Ae-sun turns to Gwan-sik in tears. She can no longer live in her stepfather’s house due to the woman he brought in, nor does she want to stay in a household where her father is absent. The only person she can rely on is Gwan-sik. She sobs as she asks, “Can you stand up to your grandmother?”—meaning, can you defy your family, especially those who clearly dislike me?
In response, Gwan-sik recites the famous Korean poem The Flag by Yu Chi-hwan, as Ae-sun once claimed, she’d never marry a man who didn’t understand poetry. He then promises her that he will help her achieve at least one of her dreams—whether it’s going to college, becoming a poet, or moving to the mainland. Finally, in February 1968, they board a ferry to Busan, leaving Jeju Island behind. On their way out, Ae-sun takes gold rings and a yellow dress belonging to her stepfather’s new wife, taking them as compensation for raising her younger siblings. Gwan-sik steals a golden frog his mother had treasured and runs away from home.
The harsh reality a young couple faced after running away from home
When Life Gives You Tangerines Episode 2
Full of hope, the couple arrives in Busan—but their dreams are quickly shattered. They fall victim to a scam by a local motel couple and lose all their belongings. Afraid to report the theft and risk revealing they’re runaways, they sneak into the couple’s room to steal money. But their plan fails when the motel owner’s daughter wakes up after seeing Ae-sun try to take back a hairpin Gwan-sik had bought for her.
Back in Jeju, Gwan-sik’s mother, Kwon Gye-ok, arrives in Busan to search for the couple. She goes to the police station but doesn’t know what they’re wearing. All she can offer is, “I’m looking for handsome Yang Gwan-sik and a clever-looking girl with a fox-like charm—Oh Ae-sun.” Meanwhile, Ae-sun’s stepfather and his new wife decide to hide the fact that she ran away, perhaps hoping that, despite everything, she might finally find happiness with Gwan-sik..
