Foreign nationals from various countries gathered in Gwanghwamun Square on Thursday to participate in a real-life version of the popular Netflix series "Squid Game." Unlike the show, this event posed no life-threatening risks. A total of 82 participants from 33 countries wore green tracksuits with unique identification numbers as K-pop music played in the background. They engaged in traditional Korean playground games with fellow participants they had just met.

Cherry Bernardo from the Philippines expressed her excitement, saying, "The 'Squid Game' is the highlight of my trip to South Korea. We’re only here for five days, and I’m spending an entire day on this game with my mother." Her mother, 76-year-old Evelyn Bernardo, was the oldest contestant. Cherry added, "When I signed up, I thought my mom might remind people of Player 001 from the first season of 'Squid Game.'"

The event began with a paper-flipping game called "ddakji," followed by tug of war, jump rope, and red light, green light. In the original series, losing meant death, while the last remaining contestant won a large cash prize. However, in this event, winners received marbles, and the participant with the most marbles at the end of the day was declared the overall winner.

Christina Chin, a fan of Korean culture, shared her experience, stating, "Our team made it to the tug of war finals but, unfortunately, didn’t win. I especially enjoyed tug of war. It’s been ages since I last played."

After lunch, participants were given honeycomb candies known as "dalgona" and a needle to carve out specific patterns. Some participants even licked the candy to soften it, a technique used by contestants in the show.

The event concluded near the Han River, where players enjoyed popular Korean snacks, including "chimaek," a combination of fried chicken and beer, and instant "ramyeon," Korea’s version of ramen. The day’s winner collected 11 marbles and received a set of porcelain wine glasses, while all participants were given a "Squid Game" uniform and small souvenirs as mementos.

The Korea Tourism Organization organized the event in response to the enthusiastic global reaction to its "Squid Game"-themed YouTube advertisement, titled "Escape to Korea: Better Run," which has received over 27 million views and more than 7,000 comments since its release. Han Yeo-ok, director of the Korea Tourism Organization’s Brand Content Team, stated, "We put in a lot of effort to make participants feel like they were part of the actual 'Squid Game.' Upon arrival, we handed out invitation cards identical to the ones featured in our YouTube video."