Where was Squid Game filmed?
2021
City Locations
Seoul, Incheon, Daejeon
Location Types
Modern, Studios, Warehouses
Location Styles
Futuristic
About Squid Game
Squid Game is one of the hottest shows on Netflix. Set in South Korea, it was released on 17th of September 2021 on Netflix South Korea and is out with only one season of nine episodes so far. Created, written, and directed by Hwang Dong-hyuk, this series became an international hit in over 94 countries with 1.65 billion viewing hours in its first four weeks from launch! Squid Game beat Netflix series Bridgerton to become the most viewed, most popular TV show.
The whole series revolves around a dystopian game setting where all the players are heavily indebted. The game's goal is to beat other players and come out the winner with a massive cash prize of $45.6 billion won. While it may seem innocent with child-like Korean games, the reality is that the losers of each game are brutally killed, and a certain amount of money is added to the final cash kitty (per death). Unfortunately, some nefarious players also realize that killing other players is not frowned upon or punished, and the prize money keeps increasing – so players start killing each other at night. This realization sets off a series of events with disastrous consequences.
Seong Gi-hun (portrayed by Lee Jung-jae) is invited to play the game in the first episode. He finds himself one of 456 other players also vying for the ultimate cash prize. Seong Gi-hun, along with other notable players like his childhood friend Cho Sang-woo (Park Hae-soo), North Korean defector Kang Sae-byeok (HoYeon Jung), elderly citizen Oh Il-nam (celebrated actor O Yeung-su), and more all battle through the deadly consequences of playing children's games to save their lives, strategize, and win the jackpot at the end.
Squid Game Locations
The majority of the gaming scenes in Squid Game were shot in several sets across Daejeon, with most city locations in Seoul and Incheon. Since the players were in and out of the game, the Squid Game production team had plenty of scope to film the series all over Korea, giving audiences a glimpse of some famous areas.
As the series is shot in Korea in the Korean language, the locations add authenticity by referencing several places, with some eye-catching cinematography. The island filming, city scenes referencing the Ssangmun-dong, Baegun market, Sangbong Intercity Terminal, Namsan Park, Wolmido Island, the subway, and more, are all easy to visit by car, bus, train, or ferry. Unfortunately, most manmade sets were torn down after production, including locations where the Squid Game action scenes were shot.
Teaser (and some spoilers ahead, too: In episode 6 of Squid Game, player 067, Kang Sae-byeok, mentions the island of Jeju. This is a real place in South Korea and is often called the 'Hawaii of Korea.' It is known for its gorgeous forests, volcanic landscapes, and pristine white beaches. However, the island used for filming is Seongapdo Island in Incheon. It is sparsely populated, primarily by fishermen, and was used sparingly for the filming, with the remainder of the games shot in various locations on Daejeon sets.
Fun fact: .
The giant electronic doll of Yeonghee used in the first episode is at the Seoul Olympic Park 88 Grass Field in Songpa-gu in Seoul. Did you also know that Squid Game was supposed to be a movie? However, the Netflix producers and writers realized that it's better off as a TV series, so the entire length and breadth of human emotions could be experienced in a dystopian manner.
Seong Gi-hun running into Kang Sae-byeok scene in Squid Game
Sangbong Intercity Bus Terminal, Seoul
This is one of the few funny scenes in Squid Game. In this scene, Seong Gi-hun (portrayed by Lee Jung-jae), a gambling and betting addict, wins a huge sum of money and tries to run away from his debtors' henchmen by running across a horse track to the other side. While running, he stumbles into Kang Sae-byeok and spills her drink. He says to her in Korean, "I'm sorry! Hey kid, you okay? Oh Sh*t!" and he tries (rather unsuccessfully) to shove the straw back into her drink before running away again. Viewers get to see Seong Gi-hun making a run for it with the goons behind him.
This scene is hilarious since it was improvised. Seong Gi-hun was never supposed to put the straw back in, and towards the end of this scene, viewers can see Kang Sae-byeok shaking her shoulders and laughing in mirth. Spoiler alert - what's not shown immediately is that she's an accomplished pickpocket and has already stolen the cash from him!
This hilarious scene was shot at the Sangbong Intercity Bus Terminal in Seoul. No matter where in the city you are, you can easily catch a bus to the bus terminal. There are several routes to the terminal, and you can stop off and pick up a cold coffee with a straw! Just watch out for gambling addicts running into pickpockets!
Seong Gi-hun playing the ddakji game with the mysterious man scene in Squid Game
Yangjae Citizen's Forest Subway Station, Gangnam District, Seoul
In this scene, a well-dressed, mysterious stranger (portrayed by Gong Yoo) approaches Seong Gi-hun at the subway station. The stranger smiles and asks Seong Gi-hun, "Mister, would you like to play a game with me?" While Gi-hun is rambling on, the stranger opens his briefcase filled with two cards – blue and red, and three piles of cash. The stranger offers to play ddakji. For each round that Gi-hun wins, the stranger will give him 100,000 won, but if the stranger wins, Gi-hun must give him the same amount of money.
The stranger wins the first round, and since Gi-hun doesn't have the money to repay him, the stranger slaps him across the face instead. This continues until Gi-hun wins, and the stranger gives him 100,000 won, tells Gi-hun's financial and personal history, and hands him a business card while saying, "Just think about it."
Out of all the Squid Game locations, this is one of the most popular since it has the first instance of the game. This scene is shot at the Yangjae Citizen's Forest Subway Station in the upmarket Gangnam district of Seoul. You can tour the bench at the metro station, walk to Yangjae Citizen's Forest Park trails, and see the Seoul Arts Center and Hanwon Museum of Art. To get to this station, catch the green line 4432 at Yangjae Station to AT Center Yangjae Flower Market and walk 3 minutes to the subway entrance.
Seong Gi-hun and Kang Sae-byeok tied and dumped scene in Squid Game
Namsan Mountain Park, Seoul
After the vote inside the game, the players are tied up and set free at different places. Seong Gi-hun and Kang Sae-byeok (player number 067) are tied up and dumped with their clothes in the middle of the night. Seong Gi-hun starts panicking and screaming, "Hello over here! I can't see anything!" Kang Sae-byeok helps remove the blindfold from his eyes and tells him to shut up and untie her. After he unties her, she wears her clothes and starts walking away.
When he starts screaming for her to untie him, she turns around and says, "If I help untie you, you're just going to hassle me for cash again." He replies, "Of course, I'm going to hassle you!" She starts walking away again. He calls her back by saying, "Okay, fine. Forget the money, okay? Untie me, I beg you." He then swears on his own mother, yet as soon as she unties his hands, he immediately starts demanding that she return the money.
This Squid Game filming location is the Namsan Mountain Park in Seoul. It's a beautiful hilly forest area with trails, a cable car, an observatory tower, and plenty of inroads to travel with a vehicle, walk, or cycle through to enjoy the air. Take bus number 406 from Seoul Station to Yongam Elementary School and walk for 10 minutes to reach Namsan Mountain Park.
Jang Deok-su meets a fellow gangster scene in Squid Game
Wolmi Theme Park, Wolmido Island, Incheon
While not one of the best scenes in Squid Game, Jang Deok-su (portrayed by Heo Sung-tae), also known as player 101, meets another gangster while he is out of the game temporarily. His gangster friend meets him with an umbrella. Instead of getting to the point, the friend starts rambling and cribbing about the weekend. He says, "Something about Friday night always brings out the weirdos." Deok-su is already impatient and straightaway asks him, "The money?"
In response to his question, the friend removes a brown envelope filled with wons and tells Deok-su, "I couldn't get more on short notice. I'll make sure the rest come in soon, okay? Anyway, the Big Boss sent out all the boys to find you – Incheon and Ilsan, the whole da*n place had eyes. Where have you been hiding?"
This scene is shot at Wolmi Theme Park on Wolmido Island at Incheon. It is a couple of hours away from Seoul. To get to Wolmi Theme Park, catch the number 2 bus from Dongincheon Station for Wolmido Island. Once there, walk for a few minutes till you reach the theme park. Entry is free, but the rides are paid as you go. You can ride the giant wheel or roller coaster and eat the local Korean junk food as you take a stroll. This park has also featured in other K-dramas like 'Descendants of the Sun' and 'It's Okay to Be Okay.'
Seong Gi-hun and Cho Sang-woo share coffee and cigarettes together scene in Squid Game
Baegun Market, Samyang-ro 154-gil, Seoul
In this scene, Seong Gi-hun is shocked to see Cho Sang-woo (player number 218). Gi-hun sees Sang-woo looking toward his own mother with longing. Gi-hun offers to buy Sang-woo a coffee and a cigarette. Seong Gi-hun realizes Cho Sang-woo is hiding from meeting his mother because of the piling debt. To cheer Sang-woo up, Gi-hun says, "Hey, come on, you're still Ssangmun-dong's own pride and joy. You're still the genius who got accepted to SNU Business School. So, don't worry. You'll make money again. Go tell your mom all about it. Make a fresh start."
Cho Sang-woo scoffs at this and asks him, "Just make 6 billion won?" Gi-hun is shocked and says, "6 billion?! I thought it was 600 million won!" That's when Gi-hun realizes that his friend Sang-woo lost all the money (including investor money) in poorly placed stocks and futures investments.
This filming location of Squid Game is at Baegun Market at Samyang-ro 154-gil, in Seoul. It is an excellent place for shopping for local food, fish, spices, and more. To get here and indulge in some regional cuisines, hop on to bus number 1120 on the green line and get off at Sorabol Middle School. From there, the walk to Cho Sang-woo's mother's fish shop is 3 minutes.
Kang Sae-byeok and Cho Sang-woo walking in the game scene in Squid Game
Daejeon
In this scene, Cho Sang-woo realizes that Kang Sae-byeok disappeared for a few minutes the previous night and discovered something. He offers to help her with the next few games in exchange for the information while they walk through the optical illusion and follow other players in a trance-like pattern.
He says, "You saw something, right? I happened to overhear your discussion last night. Tell me, what did you see?" She responds, "Why would I?" He says, "You're a North Korean defector, right? I know all the games they make us play - since I was a young boy. The next game will be too, I'm willing to bet. You tell me what you saw, and I'm willing to guess what the next game is." This scene is notable for the set built on the optical illusion drawing by MC Escher. The optical illusion was meant to confuse viewers, players, and audiences into thinking they were lost.
Unfortunately, this iconic set was torn down by the Squid Game production after shooting. However, it was one of the many sets constructed in Daejeon in South Korea. To get to Daejeon, catch a train from Suseo Station. Daejeon is also used as the filming location for other notable films, one of which is 'Train to Busan.'
Conclusion
Squid Game is an eye-opening series by Netflix that revolves around the fundamental question of how far people would go to end their financial crises. These situations force people to use their wits, betray each other, forget their humanity, and survive at all costs. Considering the fantastic drama, dialogues, incredible filming locations, and emotions that Squid Game invokes, the TV series left fans wanting more.
Squid Game's hype was felt globally, with the series topping number one charts in several countries. The fan following grew to such an extent that there are social media groups that solely discuss the various outcomes of the games, the reasoning, and the inevitable conclusion. They also have intense debates on the critical reason behind the thought processes of most of the characters.
Considering it's a dystopian setting, Squid Game sets a snowball of murder, intrigue, fantasy, and reality across the globe. The intense scenes, locations, gruesome deaths, and relationships made the series extremely relatable to audiences worldwide.
Squid Game's hype was felt globally, with the series topping number one charts in several countries. The fan following grew to such an extent that there are social media groups that solely discuss the various outcomes of the games, the reasoning, and the inevitable conclusion. They also have intense debates on the critical reason behind the thought processes of most of the characters.
Considering it's a dystopian setting, Squid Game sets a snowball of murder, intrigue, fantasy, and reality across the globe. The intense scenes, locations, gruesome deaths, and relationships made the series extremely relatable to audiences worldwide.