'Land of Squid Game': Cultural guidebook to all things Korean

Min Byoung-chul, an endowed chair professor at Chung-Ang University and author of "Land of Squid Game" / Courtesy of Min Byoung-chul

By Park Han-sol

The cover of "Land of Squid Game" (2021) / Courtesy of BCM Publishing

Whether Korean culture ― thanks to K-pop, K-dramas and K-movies as part of hallyu, or the Korean wave ― remains popular around the world is no longer a contested subject. Instead, the debate now revolves around what content is leading the current wave.

In 2021, hallyu reached another milestone with the Netflix original survival drama "Squid Game." Receiving both critical and public acclaim for its uniquely twisted transformation of Korean children's games into a life-or-death contest to win 45.6 billion won, it became the global streaming giant's most-watched show of all time, just two months after its worldwide release.

English educator and author Min Byoung-chul's new book, "Land of Squid Game," comes at a time when there appears to be an all-time high demand and interest in "all things Korean" as an easy-to-read guidebook to the ins and outs of the country's culture, from traditional children's games to the particulars of its cultural etiquettes.

"It'll be a fun and informative read for non-Koreans who are living in or generally interested in learning more about the country, as well as for Korean people who want to explain their culture to the international audience," Min told The Korea Times during a recent phone interview.

Highlighting the country's growing international presence beyond its geographical confines, the author also noted that the book can help Koreans reflect on how their cultural behaviors can be viewed and interpreted in the eyes of the global audience.

Each chapter of "Land of Squid Game" can be an engaging conversation starter.

It dedicates its first section to a series of traditional children's games, among six of which were featured in the hit Netflix show ― "Red Light, Green Light," "Paper Flip Game," "Dalgona Challenge," "Korean Tug of War," "Marble Game" and "Squid Game."

By detailing the rules and historical background of street games such as "Malddukbakgi" (a game where one team of children place their heads under each other's legs, forming a horse-like formation for the other team to jump on), the pages make it easy for any reader unfamiliar with these activities to simply follow instructions and have a go on their own.

The section also explains two interesting game-related cultural practices featured in "Squid Game," which, the author writes, reflect a unique sentiment of "jeong," or "deep-rooted warm-heartedness and affection."

"Gganbu," a word once uttered by Player 001 to the main protagonist Seong Gi-hun, refers to a playmate on the same side or team, but in the show, it becomes more than that as "close companions, like blood brothers" who don't shy away from helping each other in difficult situations, the book writes.

Another practice called "Kkakdugi Culture" is seen in one of the episodes, as the player Mi-nyeo gets to be spared from elimination as "Kkakdugi." In actual street games, the term is typically given to one child who is either the youngest or the least skilled among all players to be inclusive instead of leaving them out.

"It will be enjoyable for the readers to go through these activities and perhaps guess which one may be featured in the next season of 'Squid Game,'" Min said.

One game that he thought would be interesting to see in the show is "Chicken Fight," where two or more contestants stand on one leg and hop on with an aim to push their opponents off balance.

"Other than the fact that I played it many times during my childhood," he said, "it's a game that requires careful strategy and techniques, not just brute force. It teaches players that physical strength is not the only element that can help them survive."

The book's other two sections reflect the author's goal of informing the world of certain attributes of Korean culture and behaviorism, while addressing any possible misconceptions that have previously arisen ― an effort that he has continued in his literary projects since 1993 when he released his book, "Ugly Koreans, Ugly Americans."

"It's a way of bridging cultures, but also recognizing their differences," he stated.

Some of the engaging topics include why Koreans don't write their names in red; why groups of middle-aged hikers often wear coordinated outfits; why some buildings in Korea are missing the fourth floor; and why it is customary to give toilet paper and detergent as housewarming presents.

Many of these examples come from Min's personal experiences and conversations he has held with people from all walks of life, including his time in Chicago as an ESL teacher and his current position as an endowed chair professor at Chung-Ang University in Seoul.

Min Byoung-chul, back row sixth from left, attends the launching ceremony of the Sunfull Comment Campaign in 2010. Courtesy of Sunfull Foundation

While widely known for his yearslong emphasis on practical English education, Min is also the founder and chairman of the Sunfull Foundation that tackles the growing problem of cyber violence and online hate speech.

In 2007, after coming across news headlines that a young Korean singer had committed suicide due to a flood of hate comments, he launched an online campaign that encourages users to post positive comments that can drown out their malicious counterparts.

"I could see that online hate speech could destroy a person's soul and even lead to death in extreme cases" he said. "I felt the need to spread a culture of positivity by encouraging good-hearted comments to save lives."

Throughout his 15-year campaign, he has met many cyberbullying victims as well as perpetrators. To his surprise, he found out that it was a vicious cycle ― as many as 92.4 percent of perpetrators were those who were once victims unable to get justice, according to the 2020 Cyber Violence Survey.

As a result, the professor continues to highlight the role of supportive, encouraging comments as what he calls "a vaccine for the cyberbullying pandemic."

In 2018, the Sunfull Foundation established the Internet Peace Prize to recognize the individuals and groups who have been working to actively raise awareness against discriminatory comments and hate speech on the internet.

Last year, it designated May 23 as "No Malicious Comment Day."

"On the upcoming May 23, I would like everyone in the world to join this campaign to tell people they should write good comments rather than malicious comments," Min said.