Park Bo-gum and IU in a scene from 'When Life Gives You Tangerines.' Photo courtesy of Netflix

Since the production of “When Life Gives You Tangerines” was first announced, the series has generated much excitement for bringing together two of K-drama’s brightest stars: the versatile singer-actress IU and the charismatic Park Bo-gum.

IU, whose real name is Lee Ji-eun, has built an extensive filmography since her debut in the musical teen drama “Dream High” in 2011. Her notable works include the critically acclaimed “My Mister,” and romance dramas like “Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo” and “Hotel del Luna.”

Meanwhile, Bo-gum has served as a leading man in series like “Reply 1988,” “Love in the Moonlight” and “Encounter,” winning over the hearts of audiences with his boy-next-door appeal.

In a roundtable with select Southeast Asian press, the two admitted that the opportunity to work together was one of the reasons they chose to star in “Tangerines,” which premiered its first four episodes on Netflix on March 7.

“The fact that I would work alongside Bo-gum, that also sealed the deal. It’s something I cannot pass up on,” IU said through an interpreter.

Bo-gum echoed the sentiment, saying, “Of course, the fact that I get to work alongside IU [made me say yes to the project].”

“When Life Gives You Tangerines” follows the romance between Ae-sun (IU), a stubborn young woman with dreams of becoming a poet, and Gwan-sik (Bo-gum), a reserved yet devoted man. Their story unfolds against the picturesque backdrop of Jeju Island, following them from their youth in the 1960s into adulthood, where they are portrayed by Moon So-ri and Park Hae-joon.

READ: ‘When Life Gives You Tangerines’ hopes to connect generations, says director

For IU, what makes the show’s love story “special” is how it follows Ae-sun and Gwan-sik’s journey together through practically their entire lives.

“This love story stretches from when they were young kids all the way until their later years of life. I feel like [‘Tangerines’] is a very special love story because of that,” she told ABS-CBN News.

“It’s also my first time as an actor to portray something like that so it made me really want to be a part of this project even more,” she said.

In addition to working with IU, Bo-gum was also drawn to the project because “we could portray ‘all four seasons’ of Ae-sun and Gwan-sik’s lives.”

“This is also a drama that I would be proud to watch with my family in the future. This is also a story that I would proudly suggest to my fans,” Bo-gum added.

“Tangerines” will continue to release four new episodes on Netflix each week until it reaches a total of 16 episodes.

Check out more of IU and Bo-gum’s answers from the roundtable interview in the video above.