A Special Travel Day with Squid Game

On October 16, 2025, I recently got to experience something truly unique: “A Special Travel Day with Squid Game” hosted by The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Korea Tourism Organization (KTO). 

Honestly, bringing this intense drama to life as a fun, culture-filled day for travelers like me was a brilliant idea. The event was truly international, gathering 82 foreigners in Seoul to play. My participant number was 066, which is also my country code, and this added a neat little personal touch right from the start.

The morning kicked off at the huge Gwanghwamun Square for the “Squid Game: Seoul Edition.” Walking around in the green tracksuit with everyone else—it was a definite vibe. For a lot of the games, it was my first time playing! In Tug of War, our team fought hard and managed to take the second place winner spot, which felt like a real accomplishment. Winning each challenge was exciting because it meant earning a Glass Marble Reward. Playing a massive version of Red Light-Green Light was pretty amusing and certainly intense. We also tried traditional Korean games like Ddakji, Shoe Throwing, and a giant version of Group Jump Rope. It was a blast to experience these traditional Korean games firsthand, rather than just seeing them on screen.

After surviving the morning's challenges, we enjoyed a well-deserved K-Food experience lunch. The stakes shifted slightly here as we tackled the nerve-wracking Dalgona challenge right at the table! Let's just say carving that fragile sugar candy requires a lot more precision than I have, but it was fun trying.

The afternoon centered around a "stamp tour" challenge at the KTO's HiKR GROUND cultural center. This was another highlight! We were given a stamp card and a mission: complete the challenges to get all the stamps and earn a final Glass Marble Reward. It felt like a low-stakes scavenger hunt that forced us to explore every corner of the building. The challenges here really highlighted modern Korean culture: we got to try out the "HIKR Karaoke", singing hits “Golden” from KPop Demon Hunters. Plus, there was a chance to step into the shoes of an online broadcaster by experiencing and hosting a Mukbang (먹방) show!

My favorite challenge during the stamp tour was definitely the HiKR Express. It’s a simulation of a Korean convenience store, and we got to play as the cashiers! I absolutely loved playing with the cashier machine, scanning the items, and hearing that satisfying 'beep'! We also got to try "launching a new menu" by choosing two items and then watching a picnic video that featured our unique creations.

Actually, they decided to let us pass with 7/10 stamps due to the time constraint. But, as true stamp hunters, that just wouldn't do! I told my friend there was still enough time, so we absolutely must complete all 10/10! We'll pass, but ours has to be the 100% score! 💯 

The day concluded with a K-View and Award Dinner at Yeouido Hangang Park featuring Chimak (Fried chicken and beer) and a buffet. Getting to relax and look out at the nice sunset view over the city was the perfect ending. The day concluded perfectly; I felt like I had the best of both worlds—the pure fun of traditional Korean games blended seamlessly with a deep dive into modern K-Wave trends. It made for a truly excellent travel story.