IU and Park Bo Gum’s When Life Gives You Tangerines crew accuses production of mistreatment, "They really treated us like slaves"

When Life Gives You Tangerines was released in March

Netflix’s Korean drama When Life Gives You Tangerines debuted on the streaming platform in March this year and instantly became a topic of discussion on social media due to its emotional plot and strong performances by IU and Park Bo Gum.

However, the series is making headlines now, but this time not for a good reason.

Several individuals who claimed to be a part of the production crew have come forward and accused the team of toxicity. The tweets are now going viral on social media, sparking a controversy.

The individuals include hired extras and rental service staff. The tweets revealed some disturbing allegations against the show's production crew, including equipment damage and mistreatment of background actors. Meanwhile, a prop rental company claimed their supplied vehicles were mishandled.

One staff member shared their frustration on X (formerly Twitter) and claimed that the production crew had improperly applied lacquer spray to a vintage bus, risking irreversible damage.

The tweet reads, “I'll tell you something funny. Since the filming crew doesn't have the ability to handle the old buses or large prop vehicles that we rent or build for them anyway, they end up damaging them even though we have our staff on site almost exclusively for the purpose of managing/operating them (or monitoring them under the pretext of doing so). The reasons are mostly 'ignorance' or 'lack of sense of responsibility'."

. /( ) . '' ' '. https://t.co/c39dxxzdzn
(@M_RBt_) May 26, 2025

. ' ' . . https://t.co/1JkJMdsOQZ (@M_RBt_) May 26, 2025

According to Koreaboo, another person penned, "A ignorant person who thinks that Laccasinna is a clean and selective cleaner that only removes lacquer is running around making a fuss on site."

Besides a lack of professionalism, some of the extras also alleged the production of mistreatment, citing poor working conditions and disregard for their well-being. Some also claimed that they were forced to shave their heads without consent or compensation, lack of warm clothing in winter, and being denied thermal layers under costumes, which they were told would ruin the visual silhouette.

They stated, “Who would even notice extras in the background? They really treated us like slaves.”

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However, some of the extras also complained that the production lacked the basic amenities, including food trucks or craft tables. The extras alleged that the production team lavished perks on the main cast while cutting costs for the rest of the crew wherever possible.

Meanwhile, Netflix’s production crew are yet to address the allegations.