Q & A about Squid game | #1 Netflix show | Is this a real game? | Korean culture

Hi there, 

I bet you've watched the Squid game from Netflix.  It looks like I'm one of the last ones who watched it.  Everywhere I go, people talk about the Squid game! 

My friends have been asking a bunch of cute questions about the show(mostly related to Korean culture), and I thought might as well share them in my blog!

 

 

Q1. How much is 45.6 Billion Won in US Dollars anyway?

SUCH AN IMPORTANT QUESTION!  People are literally dying just to win this amount of money, and you might start to wonder, how much the heck is it?  It's a little over 38 million dollars. (1 dollar is about 1150 won.)

 

 

Q2. Is this a real game? 

Yes, it is a real game (except for the gunshots, of course). This is a very well-known children's game in Korea. 

A tagger(I'm not sure what to call this role in English) stands few feet away from everybody and shout out "무궁화 꽃이 피었습니다" which translates as "Mugunghwa(it's a name of the flower) has bloomed".  While a tagger says such a long sentence, the others get to come close. When the tagger sees anyone move, the tagger will call out the name and they become a prisoner. The prisoners need to stand right next to the tagger. 

When other players managed to get close without getting caught, they'll touch(tag) the tagger. Then, the tagger will try to catch anyone including the prisoners. It's likely that the tagger catches one of the prisoners, as they are standing right next to the tagger. When the tagger catches anyone -- he or she becomes the next tagger.

 

 

Q3. Does this uniform mean anything? 

It's very common casual wear in Korea. Especially when they work out or they study or any other occasion. It's a very relatable type of wear, especially to students. :)

I was told that people are looking for this type of wear for their Halloween costume. You'll be surprised to know how comfortable this is! 

 

 

Q4. What is thissss?  

It's called Dalgona, one of the favorite kids' junk snacks.  I'd say.. it's a Korean version of Twinkies. 

It's made of 99% of brown sugar and 1% of baking soda. When I was young, they sold Dalgona nearby most of the elementary schools' gates. The shape implies a little game, where if you didn't break the shape at all, you get to earn another Dalgona. I gotta say - it's much harder than it looks. I've never succeeded.  (oh, and you don't get to use any tools including a needle.)

 

 

Q5. Finally, the Squid game -- is it real?

 

Interestingly, I've never heard of the Squid game. I've been asking my other Korean friends -- and neither did they. 

Maybe it's a game from an earlier generation?! (I'm early 30s by the way)

I wouldn't be surprised if this is a real game, but I can't say that I've seen it. 

 

 

6. Contract of selling someone's organ?

At the beginning of the show, the main character was chased by the men and was forced to sign the contract. The contract basically implies I'm going to sell my organ if I cannot pay my debt. 

It's such a horrific contract and I'm pretty sure it is illegal. However, it is a fact that you can make money by selling your organ or kidney from the black market. If someone's in urgent need of money, they'd probably consider it. 

 

 

 

 

Ugh.. .my friends had asked me a bunch of cute questions, but this is all I can remember right now. (my bad.)

If you haven't watched the Squid game yet, please do so.  It's on Nextflix and it's been #1 show lately, so I'd say it's pretty damn good.  

Although if you are not a big fan of horror / thriller, I wouldn't recommend it. The show is pretty intense. 

 

Normally, I'm not a big fan of K-drama, but there are pretty good ones out there.  I hope that some of those can be released on Netflix, so that I can talk about them :)