ART REFLECTS LIFE

FOR SOUTH KOREANS, SQUID GAME WAS MORE THAN JUST ENTERTAINMENT

- STORY: JIN YU YOUNG / NYT

"The world is becoming more extreme," he said. December was the same month that Yoon Suk Yeol, then the president of South Korea, declared martial law and called troops into the National Assembly. (Season 1 debuted amid the global Covid-19 pandemic.)

The latest instalment arrives shortly after South Korea held a snap election and voted for a new president, bringing months of political upheaval to an end, at least for the time being.

The Squid Game characters also reflect society. Among the Season 3 contestants were a cryptocurrency scammer, a pregnant woman and a transgender character.

In Seoul, fans gathered to bid adieu to the show last Saturday evening as a Squid Game parade took over Gwanghwamun, a major square downtown.

Festivities included a marching band of pink-suited guards, a mock round of the notorious Red Light, Green Light game and a curtain call of leading cast members.

Speaking at a fan event after the parade, Hwang said the show had been a “heavy weight” on his shoulders. “I feel lighter now that I can finally put it down,” he said.

Netflix, however, might not be so eager to put it down just yet.

Season 3 ends on the streets of Los Angeles with a cameo from Cate Blanchett playing ddakji — the Korean game used by the