my timesThe Korea Times
  1. Business
  2. Companies

HiteJinro rides wave of anticipation for ‘Squid Game’ Season 3

Listen
By Ko Dong-hwan
  • Published Jun 25, 2025 4:23 pm KST
Participants of the 'Squid Game' Season 3 New York fan event crowd HiteJinro's booth at Domino Park to sample the company's Jinro spirits and soju cocktails, Friday (local time). Courtesy of HiteJinro

Participants of the "Squid Game" Season 3 New York fan event crowd HiteJinro's booth at Domino Park to sample the company's Jinro spirits and soju cocktails, Friday (local time). Courtesy of HiteJinro

HiteJinro is riding the wave of the Korean Netflix hit series “Squid Game,” days before its new season premieres, leading fans to crowd the major Korean liquor company’s booth at a recent fan event in New York, the company said Wednesday.

At the "Squid Game" Season 3 New York fan event held at Domino Park on Friday (local time), visitors lined up at HiteJinro’s booth to sample six varieties of Jinro spirits and cocktails. The company also offered soju-and-beer shots and a special "Squid Game" edition of its signature soju.

Jinro was the only liquor brand that participated in the global event. With 1,000 selected fans, the event invited the series’ production crew, including the director and starring actors, and hosted meetings with the fans. Fans also played the survival game portrayed in the series’ previous seasons during the event.

Limited soju glasses made in collaboration with "Squid Game" and other gift kits inspired by the series also drew interest from the visitors, according to the company. Social network influencers who joined the event livestreamed the event on social media, fueling promotion of Jinro, the company added.

“It was a meaningful event, meeting global consumers through this collaboration with the series highly anticipated across the world,” said the company's Managing Director of Overseas Business Division Hwang Jung-ho.

“Further globalizing Jinro through experience-oriented events and making the brand more appealing globally is our current goal.”

Last December, HiteJinro collaborated for the second season of the series and released a special "Squid Game"-inspired Chamisul soju edition in Korea, Japan, Australia and Mexico. The limited edition Jinro soju label was sold out in all four countries in a month, according to the company.

The company plans to release another special soju edition in collaboration with the show’s third season, releasing them in 18 countries including the United States, the United Kingdom and the Philippines. "Squid Game" Season 3 is set to premiere on Friday.