Release D-DAY… ‘Squid Game Season 2’ is crazy on a global scale

Ahead of the release of Season 2 of the Netflix series ‘Squid Game’, various events were held around the world.

‘Squid Game’ Season 2 is a story about the fierce confrontation between ‘Ki-hoon’ (Lee Jung-jae), who vows revenge and returns to the game, and ‘The Frontman’ (Lee Byung-hun) who greets him, as well as the real game that begins again.

Ahead of its release today (the 26th), this work held fan events in 11 countries, including Asia, Europe, the Americas, and South America, starting with Italy in October, uniting its global fandom. The on-site events featured various activities such as races, maze games, and DJ performances, and by showcasing Korean food and culture, it gave fans around the world the new pleasure of experiencing not only Korean content but also culture in general. The event held ahead of the release of Season 2 recorded over 2.15 billion impressions on Netflix‘s global social channels, once again proving the hot interest around the world in Korean content.

First, Season 2 of ‘Squid Game’ began its full-scale promotional activities at the ‘Luca Comics & Games Festival’, Europe’s largest comic con, held in Italy on Wednesday, October 30. The ‘Squid Game’-themed pavilion space and special installation store held outside Piazza Anfiteatro provided an immersive experience for the over 20,000 players who attended the event, and on Thursday, October 31, director Hwang Dong-hyuk and actors Lee Jung-jae and Wi Ha-joon held a special event where they met fans in person.

Then, on Sunday, December 1, the ‘Mugunghwa Has Blossomed’ game was held on the Champs-Élysées in Paris, France. Among over 50,000 applicants, 909 participants aged 18 or older participated in the game, attracting 20,000 fans on-site and 4.2 million viewers on YouTube Live and rebroadcast. In the Netherlands, over 4,000 fans experienced the specially designed ‘Squid Game’ maze from Friday, December 6 to Sunday, December 8. In the maze that recreated the space in ‘Squid Game’, participants had a thrilling time experiencing the world of the work for real.

On Thursday, December 12, a specially prepared 4.56K race was held in Los Angeles, USA ahead of the US premiere. This race, planned based on the number 456 that symbolizes ‘Squid Game’, attracted even more attention as 1,700 fans participated wearing green training suits.

On Saturday, December 14th, approximately 2,000 fans had a meaningful time participating in a 6K race held at Parque Villa Lobos in Sao Paulo, Brazil. On Saturday, December 14th and Sunday, December 15th, 1,400 fans gathered at the ‘Squid Games’ arena in Warsaw, Poland, and had the opportunity to experience the iconic games featured in the work firsthand. Fans played games like ‘Hibiscus Has Blossomed’, tug-of-war, dalgona and marbles for a chance at winning prizes.

On Wednesday 18 December, London hosted the live music event ‘Squid Games: The Rave’ at Drumsheds, featuring Korean artists ‘Mogwaa’, ‘Yu Su’ and headliner ‘PEGGY GOU’, giving festivalgoers a whole new level of enjoyment. On Thursday 19 December, ‘Younghee’ directed the ‘Hibiscus Has Blossomed’ game at the picturesque Bondi Icebergs pool. More than 550 spectators watched this thrilling match, and more than 60 pink guards solemnly guarded the area, creating an unusual scene where ‘Younghee’ challenged the game while watching.

In addition, various events for fans who have been waiting for the ‘Squid Game’ are underway in Korea, starting with the world premiere event held at Dongdaemun Design Plaza in Seoul on Monday, December 9.

First, the ‘Squid Game’ Season 2 pop-up will be held at the Open Stage on the 1st floor of the Shinsegae Department Store Gangnam branch from Friday, December 20 to Sunday, January 12, and at the Central Plaza on the 2nd basement floor of the Centum City branch from Friday, December 20 to Sunday, January 5. At the entrance of the pop-up, a large ‘Younghee’ will greet visitors, and you can also see a participant registration photo booth and the maze stairs that appear in the artwork. At the Gangnam pop-up, you can rent the green training suit worn by the game participants until Saturday, December 28, and you can also see the piggy bank in person. The participant accommodations, which are recreated exactly like the world of ‘Squid Game’, display the bunk beds and OX voting machines that were actually used in filming.

Starting Sunday, December 29, the participant accommodations will be transformed into a space where you can experience the games that appear in Season 2 firsthand. If you participate in the game, you will also be given a special opportunity to receive a limited edition ‘Squid Game’ advent calendar. The Busan pop-up also features an OX voting zone, and the giant maze stairs, the actual carousel used in filming, and colorful doors are installed to attract the attention of visitors.

‘Squid Game’ Season 2 also participated in ‘Seoul Light Gwanghwamun’, which is part of the Seoul Winter Festa. First, you can see the ‘Younghee’ structure and various sculptures using ○△□ at Gwanghwamun Square from Monday, December 16 to Sunday, January 5. In particular, the ‘Younghee’ structure shows off its presence that focuses everyone‘s attention as much as the ‘Squid Game’, and has become a popular photo spot for many visitors to Gwanghwamun. In addition, Haechi Madang was made into a special resting space by applying the colors of ‘Squid Game’, and the joy of viewing it was added through the media wall.

You can see the ‘Squid Game’ Season 2 media façade in Myeong-dong and Samseong Station. The media façade, which will be held at Myeong-dong Shinsegae Department Store from Friday, December 6 to Sunday, January 5 and at Samseong Station K-POP Square from Friday, December 6 to Tuesday, December 31, announces the splendid return of ‘Squid Game’ to citizens visiting downtown Seoul at the end of the year and provides an enjoyable experience. In particular, the sight of the Pink Guards preparing for the game in the colorful game room of ‘Squid Game’ and getting ready to welcome the participants, as well as the phrase “Game preparations are complete”, maximize expectations and curiosity about the new season, as the release of the drama is just around the corner.

‘Squid Game’ Season 2 will be released today, Thursday, December 26, exclusively on Netflix. The release time is 5 p.m.

Jeong Hee-yeon, Donga.com reporter shine2562@donga.com