Where Did They Play the Tile-Flipping Game in 'Squid Game'?
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Korean games are having their moment in the sun. From "Apt," the hit ROSÉ and Bruno Mars song inspired by the drinking game apateu, to the latest season of "Squid Game," mainstream pop culture is playing tag and Korea's hallyu is it.
Among the many traditional children's games being showcased in the Netflix series, which drops its final seasons in 2025, viewers are introduced first to ddakji. This is the intense paper-flipping game played in the subway by Seong Gi-hun and the mysterious recruiter.
Ddakji is played by slamming your opponent's paper tiles hard enough, causing them to flip. This game existed long before the cap-flipping game Pogs became a thing in the 90s.
While Pogs uses caps, ddakji is played with paper tiles made of colored origami or thick construction paper. In "Squid Game," the red and blue tile colors are no accident. They allude to a spooky tale in Korea about a ghost who offers red or blue toilet paper, both choices spelling certain doom.
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There's bound to be a ghost-free toilet or two along the 1,300-kilometer-long Seoul metropolitan subway system, but the mission here is to find the exact station where the unforgettable ddakji scene was filmed.
If you're a true-blue fan of the show, get your train money ready and prepare to walk in the footsteps of Lee Jung-jae and Gong Yoo. Here’s what to do:
- Get a T-money card for easy subway access. You can buy it from most convenience stores. If you already have one, make sure you've topped it up.
- Enter this "Squid Game" filming location on your map app: Yangjae Citizen’s Forest Station (양재시민의숲역), Exit 3, Line 3, Seoul. If you're driving, this should be a short distance from Hyundai Motor Group Headquarters.
Even better, try making your own ddakji at home before your trip, and prepare to challenge a friend at the station. (Just don't be a creepy ghost about it.)
Aja!
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