By Flora Carr

Published: Friday, 08 October 2021 at 12:00 am


The cast of Netflix’s smash-hit Korean survival drama Squid Game have revealed an added layer of meaning behind the sinister ‘Red Light, Green Light’ doll.

In the series, the down-and-out contestants compete for a massive cash prize by taking part in playground games with a deadly twist. You can read our guide to the Squid Game rounds here.

In the first round of games, we see the contestants compete in the game Red Light Green Light, similar to ‘Statues’ or ‘Grandmother’s Footsteps’ in the UK.

A giant robot doll is the “Curator“, standing at one end of the field. The other players must get to the doll’s side of the field within a set time limit, but they can only move when the doll’s back is turned. If they’re caught moving when the doll turns around, they’re out of the game – and in the case of Squid Game, they’re shot.

Speaking on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, cast member Jung Ho-yeon (who plays Sae-byeok in the Squid Game cast) confirmed that the robot doll was inspired by a character from school textbooks in Korea.

Read more about Squid Game:

“When we were at the school, there were characters–one is a boy, and one is the girl. The boy’s name was Chulsoo, and the girl’s name was Younghee and she’s the one,” she said.

You can watch the full interview, also featuring Lee Jung-jae, Park Hae-soo, and Wi Ha-joon, here.

Squid Game is available to stream on Netflix. Looking for something else to watch? Check out our guide to the best TV series on Netflix and best movies on Netflix, or visit our TV Guide