‘Squid Game’ pop-up set to close amid concerns on quarantine rules raised

A temporary replica set of Netflix original drama series “Squid Game,” installed at Itaewon Station in Yongsan, central Seoul, closed earlier than scheduled after doubts over violations of quarantine rules had been raised.

In response to the growing concerns of the public, the Seoul Metro announced that it will close the operation of the set, Ogame World, on Saturday, a day earlier than the expected closing date.

The set, situated on an underground common waiting at the station opened earlier this month to promote the drama. Visitors can experience some of the main games in the drama in person.

After the drama gained instant popularity among its release on Sept. 17, controversy over quarantine rules swiftly arose, with growing number of citizens claiming that social distancing rules were not being followed properly at the zone.

Social media posts have shown a flock of visitors standing tightly in long lines, waiting to try out the games on the set.

A netizen posted a comment on social media that the staff operating the set did not monitor those who were ignoring safety guidelines to take photographs.

“I enjoyed the concept of the set being interactive, with some staff wearing the same masks as the guards that appear in the actual series. But I noticed visitors seemed reluctant to use hand sanitizer displayed in between the games,” a visitor who went to the set on Thursday told The Korea Herald.

“We gave the team approval to operate (the set) as long as they complied with quarantine rules such as maintaining social distancing guidelines and wearing masks at all times,” an official from the Seoul Metro explained. The set was strictly disinfected before and after the operation on a daily basis since its opening, but the decision had to be made after the drama’s unexpected popularity, according to the Seoul Metro.

The original series “Squid Game” had soared to the top in 14 countries including Korea, US, Vietnam, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait and Singapore, and is the first Korean series to rank first place on Netflix US, according to FlixPatrol, a US-based provider of data on video on demand.

By Kim Hae-yeon (hykim@heraldcorp.com)