By Honorary Reporter Choi King Chiu from Hong Kong
Photos = Choi King Chiu

This is the banner of the Squid Olympics at Southorn Stadium.

The Korean Cultural Center (KCC) and Korean Sports Association in Hong Kong on Nov. 26 hosted the Squid Olympics, an event inspired by the smash K-drama "Squid Game," at Southorn Stadium. 

Around 100 participants of all ages attended and were divided into 20 teams of five members each. As a volunteer, I saw the excitement firsthand and helped ensure the smooth running of the event.

Each participant (left) wears a T-shirt with a unique number and team color. The red T-shirt (right) for volunteers had symbols appearing on the guards in the K-drama "Squid Game."

Offering cash prizes, the competition featured thrilling games from the drama like "Red Light, Green Light," flipping ddakji (folded paper tiles), removing dalgona (honeycomb toffee) images, tug-of-war, kicking a shuttlecock, rope skipping and the "Running Man" game. Each person's T-shirt had a unique number and distinctive team color, while volunteers like myself wore a red T-shirt featuring symbols on the guards' masks in "Squid Game."

In contrary to the drama's intense elimination format, the Squid Olympics allowed participants to continue playing later even if they lost. Winners of each game earned toy gold coins that raised their overall scores. The event concluded with cash prizes given to the top three teams based on the highest number of coins. 

Among the most memorable moments for me at the event, the red-blue board flipping game had participants divided into two teams and flipping the boards to their respective team colors. Certain players, however, attempted to hide the boards under their arms to hinder their opponents. The host stressed following the rules for fair play.

In the dalgona game, participants delicately extracted the shapes from the candy. Ispired by the protagonist in the drama, others humorously resorted to licking the dalgona to soften it before extraction. During the shuttlecock kicking game, cheers erupted for participants to build a supportive atmosphere and foster camaraderie among participants.

Participants stick name tags to their backs in playing the "Running Man" game

The highlight of the competition was the "Running Man" game named after the popular Korean variety show. Participants sought to tear name tags from their opponents' backs, with some cleverly using defense-and-attack strategies inspired by the show, resulting in a safe conclusion despite a few falls and tumbles.

While determination and competitive spirit were evident throughout the event, the genuine support and camaraderie among participants stood out. As a volunteer, I had among my tasks setting up the venue, distributing wristbands to the audience, awarding gold coins to the winners, recording scores and distributing souvenirs. I also had a surprise in seeing a former colleague among the participants.

I took pride in contributing to the success of the event and eagerly anticipate more opportunities to take part in KCC events.

msjeon22@korea.kr

*This article is written by a Korea.net Honorary Reporter. Our group of Honorary Reporters are from all around the world, and they share with Korea.net their love and passion for all things Korean.