As fans dive into the highly anticipated Squid Game Season 2 alongside their holiday leftovers, it is an excellent moment to reflect on an incident from the show’s inaugural season that inadvertently disrupted a woman’s life, prompting a significant editing decision from Netflix.
It has been three years since the original series premiered, and the new season has certainly fulfilled expectations. As highlighted in our five-star review, the latest episodes elevate the intensity, making the initial season’s trials feel almost trivial by comparison.
Set three years after Seong Gi-hun left the airport, featuring his striking red hair, this season follows his relentless quest for revenge as he aims to dismantle the deadly games once and for all. The finale culminates in an exhilarating gunfight and leaves viewers on the edge of their seats, setting the stage for an epic final chapter.
The Unfortunate Connection Between Squid Game and Real Life
Recall the infamous eight-digit phone number presented on the business card received by Gi-hun in Season 1? Adding the South Korean mobile prefix of 010 revealed a real phone number, prompting unforeseen consequences.
In 2021, a woman named Kim Gil-young from Seongju, South Korea, experienced this impact firsthand when the show skyrocketed to become the most-watched series in 90 countries. Viewers started to dial the number, trying to confirm its authenticity, leading to an overwhelming flood of messages and calls.
In an interview with Money Today, she expressed the severity of her situation: “Since the airing of Squid Game, I’ve been receiving texts and calls 24 hours a day, to the point where it’s difficult to live my daily life.”
Gil-young shared, “This is a number that I’ve been using for more than 10 years, so I’m quite taken aback. There are more than 4,000 numbers that I’ve had to delete from my phone.” She noted the relentless nature of the calls—curiosity-driven dials that would deplete her phone battery within half a day.
Initially clueless about the reason behind the influx of calls, she eventually discovered through friends that her number had appeared in the show. Unfortunately, changing her number was not feasible, as it was tied to her business.
Seeking resolution, she approached Netflix and the production company Siren Pictures directly. An attorney consulted on the matter indicated that while establishing a legal case could be challenging, it might potentially violate the Personal Information Protection Act, which carries serious penalties.
Netflix Responds: A Swift Resolution Before Season 2
Netflix acted promptly to address this situation by editing the series to remove the real phone number. In its place, they substituted the digits with an unassignable sequence: 010-034.
The swift edit followed discussions between Netflix and Siren, in which they urged fans to refrain from making prank calls. It became evident that the issue stemmed from viewers’ propensity to add the prefix automatically when dialing the number shown.
While Kim Gil-young faced the brunt of the unintended consequences, fortunately, the matter was resolved without lasting repercussions—serving as a valuable lesson for the industry. Squid Game Season 2 revisits that iconic business card, ensuring that no one ends up dialed in by mistake this time around.
Currently, Squid Game Season 2 is available for streaming on Netflix. For those interested, you can discover why Season 3 must conclude the saga, learn about the inspirations behind the show, and find other excellent series to watch this month.
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