Korea Traditional Games as seen in Squid Games and others!
In this article we will share to you korea traditional games as seen in squid games and others you might never heard of. Korean games has recently become famous all over the world with the increasing popularity of Squid Games korean drama. It’s important to learn more about korean traditional games as seen in squid games and other korean drama. Let’s dive right to it.
Yutnori (윷놀이)
Yutnori is the most popular Korean traditional games that is commonly played on Lunar New Year in Korea. You can play yutnori with four wooden sticks just as you play dice. As you throw the sticks, if you got 1 blank spaces, then you move one, two blank spaces, move two, and so on.
However, If you got 4 blank spaces, then it became ‘yut’ combination and you move four times and get another throw chance. If you got 4 written part of the sticks, then you got ‘Mo’ combinations which gives you five moves and another turn. If your opponent move in the same spot as your pieces, then your pieces is out and you need to start again. The team who safely move all of their own four pieces around the board will win the games.
Ssireum (씨름)
This is actually similar to Sumo Japanese Wresting. This korean folk style of wrestling takes place in a sandy ring, and both of them will try to throw the opponents to the ground. Both of them wear a belt we called Satba 샅바 around their waist and leg, in which both of them will use to throw their opponent to the ground.
Yeonnalligi (연날리기)
This is a Flying kite where many kids usually play during Luna New Year and Daeboreum, the first full moon of the new lunar year. These days not many kids playing this games anymore, as people are more into technology rather than outdoor activity.
Neolttwigi (널뛰기)
This is a famous korean traditional games especially among games, usually played during Lunar New year and chuseok. This game is actually similar to seesaw with a different is that the player in Neolttwigi will stand to each other and jump as they land on the board.
Jegichagi (제기차기)
Jegichagi is very similar to a hacky sack, the game is super simple, the player will kick a “jegi” up in the air and just keep on kicking it to prevent it from falling to the ground. The player with most number of consecutive kicks win.
Juldarigi (줄다리기)
Juldarigi is actually a tug of war, but korean version, you might already seen this in Squid Games. It is a traditional common game played during festivals as well as community gathering.
The game can be explain in a super simple rules. Both team will played with two ropes that’s made from rice straws that are connected by a peg in the center, then the two try to pull down each other. Back then this game was used as a ritual in agriculture community, in which to predict the fortune of their agriculture works.
Mugunghwa Flower has bloomed (무궁화꽃이 피었습니다)
This games is the first game in squid games that we knew as Red Light Green Light. Super simple games, thisle the tagger stands with their back faced towards the other players and shouts “Mugunghwa flower has blossomed” (무궁화 꽃이 피었습니다), the players sneak up slowly behind them. The tagger turns around whenever they are done saying the sentence, and the rest of the players are to stand there as still as possible.
Dalgona 달고나
Squid Game really bring back memories of the childhood games of Dalgona Challenge. This games, as you see in Squid Games, played by each people receive a flat candy made out of a melted sugar and baking soda. Each candy has four shape crafted in it in which the player need to pull out the figure without breaking it.
This game was originally created by dalgona street vendors in 1950’s, where each kid who are able to pull out the figure perfectly will receive a free bonus dalgona candy.
Hit the Marbles 구슬치기
You might also already saw this in Squid Games, where each player placed their marbles on the ground and the opponent will thrown their marbles at a distance to hit the opponents marbles. This simple games usually played outdoor in the dirt. During this games episode, you also heard that the player 001 talk to player 456 about being gganbu, that korean words meaning ally or pertner, that’s why he gave up himself for him.
Ttakji (딱지) | Korean Pogs
This is the very early episode of Squid games movie where Gong-yoo acted as a recruiter for those who are heavily in debt to join the squid games. Gong Yoo recruit each player by first invite them to play Ttakji (korean slap match games).
This is a traditional game since Joseon Dynasty, played with two colorful folded paper in which they are competing to hit one another ttakji until it flips or goes out of the line.
Squid Game 오징어 게임
Squid game, the last games in the movie Squid game is a really old korean games. Squid games was played by first drawing the squid shaped outline on the ground with 2 team, the attacker and defender. The attacker can only move on one foot until the middle of the squid. On the other hand, the defenders can move on both feet, but if they get dragged out, they lose. To win the games, the attacker must reach the head of the squid.
Spinning Top Game 팽이 놀이
This is actually korean version of Beyblade, you must already knew beyblade movie before, it is famous during beyblade movie series in 2000’s. The purpose of the game is to knock down your opponent’s or spinning longer than your opponents.
Gonggi 공기놀이
Gonggi (공기) is a korean traditional game where you throw five small, round stones into the air and catch them with your hands. The game is super easy, you start by placing all five stones on the floor, then throw one in the air and grab the other four quickly, and then catch the one in the air before it falls to the ground.
Two stones are thrown in the second level, three are thrown in the third level, four are thrown in the fourth level and five stones are thrown in the fifth level. Those who are able to go to the highest level win the games. The stones are thrown using the back of your hands.
Hopscotch 땅 따먹기
This korea traditional games start with drawing a lines on the grown with 8 blocks on it with each specific shape and numbers. You begin the game by throwing a stone into one of the eight blocks and jump in between them with one foot. Jump between 1 to 8 perfectly using one foot and you will win the games.
Knitting 실 뜨기
This game played by two people with a thread tied and wrapped around player hands and the other will then make a move by creating a new shapes on the thread from your hands unto their hands. There are a fixed shape you need to create in each level, so you need to memorize how to create those shapes.
Korea Traditional Games
How do you think about these traditional games in korea? Is it interesting? Which one you love the most? Let us know in the comment sections below!
