‘Squid Game’ giant doll draws fans at Seoul park

An imitation of a giant doll featuring in South Korean survival drama ‘Squid Game’ was launched this week at a Seoul park, giving fans and curious onlookers a chance to experience a bit of what it feels like being on Netflix’s mega hit show.

Younghee, a four-metre-tall doll dressed in orange and yellow, was set up at the Seoul Olympic Park on Monday, Netflix’s representative told Reuters.

Visitors to the park on Tuesday played the Korean traditional game ‘mugunghwa ggoti pieotseubnida’ to music, meaning mugunghwa (flower) has bloomed, equivalent to the ‘Red Light, Green Light’ game in the show.

A couple takes a selfie with a giant doll named ‘Younghee’ from Netflix series ‘Squid Game’ on display at a park in Seoul, South Korea, October 26, 2021. REUTERS/Kim Hong-Ji

“I really wanted to know how it feels to be in the game. It’s like we are on the game, hearing the music and seeing this doll,” Seoul resident from the Philippines, Sung Hye-jin, said, standing in front of the doll.

From toddlers to adults to even dogs, some park visitors were seen wearing green tracksuits with number tag ‘456’, similar to the outfits of show’s main character.

“I really enjoyed the show, so came here wearing this costume for Halloween,” said South Korean resident Ko Dae-hwan, dressed in green.

A girl wearing a costume of Netflix series ‘Squid Game’ poses for photographs in front of a giant doll named ‘Younghee’ from the series on display at a park in Seoul, South Korea, October 26, 2021. REUTERS/Kim Hong-Ji

‘Squid Game’ has been watched by 142 million households since its September 17 debut, helping Netflix add 4.38 million new subscribers.

The doll is planned to be displayed at the park until Nov. 21, according to a park official.

(Reporting by Minwoo Park, Daewoung Kim; Editing by Muralikumar Anantharaman)