What does the eerie song in Squid Game mean?

Curious about what the doll was singing in Squid Game? Here's a quick explanation!

Suppose you're watching Squid Game, or at least have seen a few trailers. In that case, you are probably familiar with the scene where they are playing the game "Red Light, Green Light" with the giant doll eerily singing "무궁화 꽃이 피었습니다." or "Mugunghwa kkochi piotsseumnida."

 

                                 

 

Have you ever wondered what that means and where it's from?

"Mugunghwa kkochi piotsseumnida" roughly translates to "The Roses of Sharon have blossomed." Mugunghwa, or the roses of Sharon, is Korea's national flower.

This sentence is sung or said in a popular children's game in Korea where the players start at the opposite end of the person who is "it." The person who is "it" sings or says "Mugunghwa kkochi piotsseumnida" with their back turned. The other players then try to run towards the opposite end towards the location of the one who is "it." The other players can move as long as the person who is "it" is looking away. The person who is "it" then turns around repeatedly to face the group abruptly. The rule of the game is that if anyone is caught moving, they will be eliminated. The punishment differs. For some, those who were eliminated need to hold hands with the person who is "it," the next person eliminated will hold the one eliminated before them, and so on, forming a link to the person who is "it." For some, they will be forced to go back to the starting point, while for some children, they simply remove them from the game until the next round. This game will continue until someone can tap the "it" person. If any of the players can do that, the person designated to be "it" would chase the other players towards the direction they came from.

 

In the case of Squid Game, they gave this innocent children's game a dark and dangerous turn. Make sure to watch the hottest new thriller that will blow you away. Let us know what you think about it in the comments! 




Christine Morales

29 KWAVE Magazine posts

Comments