Pokssak Sogasudda Wink Challenge

Origin

The When Life Gives You Tangerines wink challenge copies a scene featuring Park Chung-seop, played by actor Kim Seon-ho, in the Netflix drama When Life Gives You Tangerines (Pokssak Sogatsuda), and became hugely popular in China under the name "Kim Seon-ho challenge." The key move is placing a hand on your chest and closing your eyes as if fainting, then tilting your head with a playful wink and smile. The Korean title, pokssak sogatsuda, is Jeju dialect for "you've worked so hard."

The original scene is in episode 13. According to Asia Economy, when Chung-seop first sees his bride-to-be Yang Geum-myeong (played by IU) in her wedding dress at the chapel, he puts a hand on his chest, closes his eyes and pretends to swoon, then flashes a mischievous wink and smile at the laughing Geum-myeong. That short, exaggerated display of excitement spread as an easy-to-copy move.

Spread

The challenge caught on most fiercely in China. Videos recreating the scene multiplied on Chinese social platforms such as TikTok, Douyin and Xiaohongshu, and the craze grew when popular Chinese actress and model Bai Lu joined in. As of April 2025, the "Kim Seon-ho challenge" was in the top 25 trending challenges on Douyin, and on Xiaohongshu it had passed 170 million views and 1 million likes.

There was a paradox in the trend. Netflix doesn't officially operate in mainland China, yet the drama scored 9.4 out of 10 on the Chinese review site Douban, among the highest ratings for a Korean drama. Viewers were watching through workarounds and illegal channels, so-called "stealth viewing." Meanwhile, the Chinese state outlet Global Times unusually praised the series, prompting speculation that it might signal an easing of China's restrictions on Korean content.

Usage

• Short video challenges of placing a hand on the chest, pretending to faint, then tilting your head with a wink
• Exaggerating your excitement at the sight of a partner or someone you like
• A way for drama fans to relive the series by recreating its famous scene

Sources

• Asia Economy, "Head tilt and a wink... the challenge causing a stir in China, where 'Tangerines' is watched unofficially" (April 10, 2025) — Chung-seop's wedding-dress scene and wink in episode 13, spread on TikTok, Douyin and Xiaohongshu, Bai Lu's participation, top 25 on Douyin and 170 million views on Xiaohongshu, Netflix's absence in China and the 9.4 Douban rating, praise from Global Times