What do Koreans say for Red Light, Green Light?

The Netflix Squid Game series “red light, green light” game, which in Korean is has nothing to do with lights, but everything to do with a flower. The song’s lyrics are, 무궁화 꽃이 피었읍니다, and is based on the (Rose of Sharon) hibiscus and also South Korea’s national flower.

So what they’re saying in that game is “the hibiscus flower, has bloomed.”

The 무궁화 is very important to Korean culture. It’s even in the national anthem. The flower used to be extremely common and could be found everywhere in Korea.

However, during the Japanese invasion of Korea, the Japanese colonists tried to change that.

The Japanese colonists saw how Koreans felt and identified strongly with the flower, and of course, they weren’t going to let that fly.

The Japanese colonists started branding the flowers as common and dirty, and in a lot of places, they started fading out of existence.

Fortunately, Koreans held tight to their pride and identity around this flower, and it has flourished again in Korea.

Fans now have a relentless fascination with Netflix’s Korean show, Squid Game, and we explore the doll from the Red light, Green light game to explore what she says.

The show’s premise revolves around hundreds of contestants who have a financially challenging past, all looking to test their skills and their strength in the hopes of winning a large sum of money.

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Squid Game | Official Trailer | Netflix

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Squid Game | Official Trailer | Netflix

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What is the doll saying in Squid Game?

The terrifying doll at the helm of the game is more or less reciting the name of the game over and over again.

The doll reportedly says: “무궁화 꽃이 피었습니다” (mugunghwa kkochi piotsseumnida), which can be roughly translated to “the Hibiscus flower has bloomed” – referring to the National flower of Korea.

During the game, we see the giant robot doll standing at the head of a group of contestants next to a tree. As the doll turns its back, the players can move towards the doll.

However, when the doll spins around to face the players, the contestants must freeze immediately, or they risk getting fatally shot.

What is the doll’s name?

According to a report on the Korean forum, Dcinside, the doll’s name is Mugunghwa, named in relation to the game. However, this has yet to be confirmed.

The doll is actually a real artifact residing in a horse carriage village in Jincheon County in Chungcheongbuk-do, South Korea.

The show borrowed the doll for the nail-biting scene and has since returned to its rightful place in the village.

What do Koreans say for Red Light, Green Light?
Image from Netflix Media Center

What are the other children’s games in the Netflix show?

Squid Game features six, children’s games in total throughout the course of the series and the contestants must emerge as winners in order to progress.

The six games featured in the show are as follows:

The first game is Red light Green light – as described previously.

The second game requires contestants to cut either a circle, umbrella, star or triangle shape out of honeycomb without breaking the shape.

The group stands on one end of the playing area, at the starting line. The person who is "It" stands at the other end, at the finish line, usually facing a tree.

The person who's "It" stands with his back to the group. He says, 무궁화 꽃 이 피었 습니다 (Mugunghwa kkoci pieot seumnida). Then he quickly turns around to face the group.

While he is facing away from the group, the people in the group run towards the finish line. Meanwhile, as soon as the one who's "It" finishes saying, 무궁화 꽃 이 피었 습니다 (Mugunghwa kkoci pieot seumnida) he quickly turns around to face the group. The group must freeze. Anyone who is seen moving has to hold hands with the one who's "It". After the 1st person joins hands with the one who's "It", the other people caught moving join hands with the other people who were seen moving, forming a chain.

The game continues like this until someone reaches the finish line and touches the person who's "It". Then everyone runs away while the one who's "It" tries to catch them.

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What does squid game Red Light, Green Light say?

Mugunghwa Kkoci Pieot Seumnida – ( 무궁화 꽃 이 피었 습니다 ) Though the phrase is often used by children playing red-light green-light, the words repeated actually have nothing to do with the game they are often associated with. Mugunghwa kkoci pieot seumnida translates to “the hibiscus flower bloomed” in English.