As 'Squid Game' season 2 remains at the top of the Netflix TV show charts for three consecutive days in 93 countries, including the U.S., UK, and France (as of the 31st, according to FlixPatrol), traditional Korean games are once again receiving attention. Following the global trend of the dalgona challenge from the first season, this time the 'gonggi challenge' is becoming popular on social media.
In the fourth episode of season 2, titled 'Six Bridges,' five sets of traditional Korean folk games such as ttakjichigi, biseokchigi, gonggi, spinning top, and jegichagi are featured. Particularly, a video of Marine Corps participant Kang Dae-ho (Kang Ha-neul) skillfully playing gonggi garnered attention as it received 10.31 million views on TikTok. Unlike other games, gonggi, which has complex rules, has sparked curiosity among international viewers asking, 'How exactly is this game played?' The British weekly magazine RadioTimes introduced gonggi, describing it as 'a game that may be the most confusing for Western audiences,' adding, 'The advantage of gonggi is its accessibility. You can use any small, round objects like stones, pebbles, dice, or marbles to play.'
In the largest online community in the U.S., Reddit, various reviews such as 'Tell me where I can buy gonggi' and 'I bought a set of gonggi for $8 on Amazon' have been posted. Viewers from Asia, including India, Malaysia, and Indonesia, expressed sympathy, saying, 'We have similar games in our country as well.' Recent comments have also appeared on a YouTube video titled 'How to Play Gonggi,' uploaded four years ago, such as 'Did you come here after watching Squid Game?' and 'Trying to understand season 2.' Videos of K-pop idols like NewJeans playing gonggi are also rapidly gaining views.
On TikTok and YouTube, videos are being uploaded by international viewers who can't find gonggi stones, trying to play gonggi with stones, chocolates, dice, and other items. One British man, obsessed with 'Squid Game,' uploaded a video on TikTok dressed in a tracksuit with '456' on it, attempting levels 1 through 5 using five chocolates.
The reaction to the mingling game is also enthusiastic. In this game, players dance to the song 'Round and Round' and pair up according to the called number. Posts on Reddit read, 'Tell me the song title. It's incredibly catchy,' 'The music is so intense it sticks in my head,' and 'The best game this season.' Fans are also creating popular secondary content, such as remixing the song 'Round and Round' or creating the mingling game on the metaverse platform Roblox.