Now, Hallyu (Korean Wave) is no longer an unfamiliar scene on the global stage. The Hallyu, which blossomed with BTS and the movie ‘Parasite’, reached its apex with ‘Squid Game’. The Netflix original survival drama Squid Game recently ranked first in viewer ratings in 83 countries, causing a global syndrome. Squid Game is the first series to top the list in 83 countries where Netflix can be watched. Reflecting its popularity, parodies of Squid Game have become popular in each country, and Korean agricultural products are also attracting attention.

#What is Squid Game?
Squid Game is a story of people risking their lives for a chance to win a 45.6 billion won (USD 39 million). 456 debt-stricken, cash-strapped players take part in deadly children’s games, dreaming of becoming the final winner to start a new life. In a total of 9 episodes, Squid Game has drawn worldwide attention with ‘Korean traditional games’ and ‘Deathmatch’, where the opponent must die for one to win the prize.

As the whole series unfolds, the people who lose the game are doomed and someone receives the prize after a desperate struggle. The drama starts with ‘Red Light Green Light’, where one can only move when the tagger covers his eyes and iterates a phrase. This is followed by 'Dalgona Cutting', which requires the players to cut around the outline of an umbrella or star picture without breaking it, ‘Tug of War’, where each team pulls a rope, and ‘Squid Game,’ where players push the opponents out of a drawing. Here, the Korean ‘tearjerker’ style that appears in the middle is also something to pay attention to during Squid Game. A good heart that goes beyond the simple story of death and killing to connect those who have fallen behind in society is another key to the overall storyline. This is also why ‘Grandpa Gganbu’, who shares affection with the main character, is constantly discussed.

*Additional Info. K culture in the World
Various Korean contents have received global attention before Squid Game. The representative one is Parasite, a film that has won four Academy Awards and addresses ‘wealth inequality’, like the core theme of the squid game. Netflix shows are no different. Korean zombie series Kingdom and Sweet Home, a drama based on webtoon (a type of digital comic in South Korea) drama that deals with human greed, also attracted a sensational popularity.

#K-FOOD in Squid Game
Dozens of people lined up at an experience hall in Paris, France, and customers waiting for a long time at a retail store in Shanghai, China. They are all waiting for Dalgona, which is called ‘Korean hokey-pokey’ and ‘Honeycomb toffee’. Dalgona, a traditional Korean snack, has become enormously popular abroad. The culture of making and experiencing Dalgona like Squid Game is trending all over the world. The ‘Dalgona Kit’ was once out of stock. Celebrities are also rushing to upload content on how to make Dalgona on their social media. A YouTuber with 9.3 million subscribers posted a video of multiple Dalgona challenges, and NBC's famous talk show host ‘Jimmy Fallon’ also posted on his to join the popularity.

Dalgona is not the only Korean food to benefit from this popularity. Samyangfoods’ Samyang ramyeon and green bottled soju also drew attention overseas. The same goes for Tteokbokki, which is already widely known. It has become known through the scenes where Squid Game’s main character eats Tteokbokki at a food stand and raw ramyeon by crushing it as a side dish while drinking soju. Let’s check out the Korean food that the main characters like so we can look forward to with infographics.

*Tip. Watch the ‘Dalgona Cutting’ video by the actors of Squid Game again.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1hCyPxPISDo

#What are the actors’ favorite food?