From Young-hee to hanjeongsik: ‘Squid Game’ Season 3 brings back Korean childhood games, nostalgia
A new giant robot doll, Chul-su, is seen in a scene from "Squid Game" Season 3. Captured from Netflix
Having failed in his rebellion, "Squid Game" protagonist Gi-hun (Lee Jung-jae) feels guilty and helpless, believing that many people died because of him. He's even unable to participate in the vote to decide whether or not to continue the game.
In the midst of this disaster, his anger turns towards Dae-ho (Kang Ha-neul). He believes the rebellion failed because Dae-ho, who was supposed to bring the magazine for the bullets, got scared and ran away. As Gi-hun is haunted by his failed rebellion and the weight of lives lost, dawn breaks and a new, more brutal game begins in "Squid Game" Season 3.
As in previous seasons, the latest episodes are steeped in Korean cultural references, from the twisted reinvention of childhood games and nursery rhymes to retro settings and even Korean food. These cultural layers ground the global hit in a uniquely Korean identity.
Young-hee, a giant robot doll, is seen in a scene from "Squid Game" Season 3. Courtesy of Netflix
Young-hee and Chul-su
This season introduces a new robotic doll, Chul-su, to join the infamous Young-hee animatronic. Previously seen in the chilling “Red Light, Green Light” game, Young-hee used motion sensors to gun down players who moved. Now, paired with Chul-su, the duo amplifies the show’s eerie atmosphere, adding a fresh layer of menace to the already haunting world.
Where do the robots’ names come from? For many Koreans, Young-hee and Chul-su are instantly recognizable — not as killers, but as the cheerful, well-behaved children who once filled the pages of elementary school textbooks.
First introduced in Korea’s very first language textbook published after liberation from Japanese colonial rule in 1948, the two were the go-to characters in educational materials for nearly four decades, symbolizing innocence, diligence and ideal childhood behavior.
They were symbolic figures of their era, serving as the faces of Korean school textbooks until the 1980s. As society evolved and more diverse characters began to appear in educational materials, Young-hee and Chul-su gradually faded from the curriculum. Yet even today, their names remain iconic in Korea, widely recognized as national symbols of childhood.
In Season 3, the two towering figures appear together, turning a simple jump rope game into a deadly challenge atop a narrow bridge.
Players engage in a game of hide-and-seek in a scene from "Squid Game" Season 3 / Captured from Netflix
Hide-and-seek with knives
As in previous seasons, "Squid Game" continues to put a brutal twist on childhood classics, but in Season 3, the violence escalates even further. Instead of simply dying if they fail to complete the game within the time limit, the hide-and-seek game gives participants knives and compels them to kill others to survive.
The hide-and-seek game, which appears for the first time in Season 3, involves drawing a ball from a gumball machine, using the colored gumballs to assign people to either the red or blue team. The red team are the seekers, hunting down and trying to kill members of the blue team, who are trying to hide. The blue team wins by finding an exit hidden in the game area within 30 minutes, or by successfully surviving until the end of the game.
The series faithfully recreates Korea’s narrow back alleys from the 1970s and ’80s, complete with graffiti-covered walls and maze-like passages. At the center of the labyrinth are rooms adorned with colorful murals or scratch art. Before the game starts, a haunting arrangement of a classic Korean hide-and-seek nursery rhyme plays, and the blue team is given two minutes to hide before the hunt begins.
The nursery rhyme goes, "Hide, hide, it's time to play. Don't let your hair give you away. Don't let your clothes give you away. Don't let your toe give you away," and is a common counting song used for the Korean version of the game. The person who seeks typically sings it while the other players find their hiding spots.
As the familiar phrase "Ready or not, here I come" echoes softly in the background, the cruel hunt begins.
Players try to survive a game of jump rope in a scene from "Squid Game" Season 3 / Captured from Netflix
Jump rope on bridge
Survival in this game depends on crossing the bridge within the time limit by jumping over the turning rope. Young-hee and Chul-su doll robots hold the rope on either side of the bridge.
The background music features another familiar Korean children's song used in jump rope games, starting with "Knock knock, who's there? Your little friend. Come on in," followed by "Little friend, little friend, touch the ground," "Little friend, little friend, turn around," and "Little friend, little friend, raise your hands."
This highlights the characteristic irony of "Squid Game," stemming from the juxtaposition of childhood innocence and deadly stakes.
Players prepare for another deadly round in a scene from "Squid Game" Season 3 / Captured from Netflix
Sky Squid Game
The Korean children's game that gives the show its title involves two teams competing on a playing field shaped like a squid, which is typically drawn in sand. Attackers try to reach the central "home base," hopping on one foot if they venture out of bounds, while defenders work to block them and force them outside the lines.
This "sky squid game" in the show presents a different challenge. Participants are dropped from pillars in a sequence: first a square pillar, then a triangle and finally a circular pillar. Once the game starts, at least one person must be eliminated from each pillar within 15 minutes. If no one falls off within this time, everyone on that pillar is eliminated and the game ends without a winner.
Players eat at a Korean-style banquet before the final round in "Squid Game" Season 3. Captured from Netflix
Korean-style feast
Breaking from the common trope of a Western-style steak dinner, the finalists in "Squid Game" are treated to an impressive "hanjeongsik" (traditional course meal). The spread evokes the elegance of a royal banquet, featuring foods such as galbijjim, gujeolpan and japchae.
Galbijjim, made with either beef or pork short ribs, is often served on special occasions and holidays in Korea. It is a savory and slightly sweet dish with aromatic hints from garlic and ginger.
Gujeolpan is a beautifully presented Korean dish, often associated with Korean royal cuisine. The name literally translates to "nine-sectioned plate" and it features eight distinct, colorful and finely prepared ingredients arranged in the eight outer sections. In the central compartment are thin crepes made from wheat or rice, called "miljeonbyeong." Diners take crepes and fill them with small amounts from each section of the tray, folding them into a small, neat one-bite bundle.
Japche is a popular stir-fried glass noodle dish, often served at celebrations and gatherings as festive fare. The key ingredient is dangmyeon, a kind of glass noodle made from sweet potato starch. The noodles are stir-fried with sweet and savory soy sauce, a variety of colorful vegetables and often with thinly sliced marinated beef or pork.