Do you remember the fall of 2021 when the whole world was captivated by green tracksuits?

Squid Game became the most-watched series in Netflix history, and during that Halloween, 456 tracksuits were everywhere on the streets.

However, watching reaction videos from foreign viewers, it's clear that they are confused by scenes that are obvious to Koreans.

It makes you realize that when cultural codes differ, the same scene can be interpreted completely differently. Here are five scenes that foreign viewers found most confusing.

The first is undoubtedly the scene with the charcoal briquettes. This is the moment Gi-hun discovers the traces of his friend's suicide attempt at his mother's house, and many foreign reactors were puzzled, asking, "Why is he in a suit in the bathtub with charcoal? Is he doing aromatherapy?"

In Korea, unfortunately, charcoal briquettes are recognized as a tool for suicide, so Koreans understand what that scene means, but to foreigners, it just looked like a bizarre decoration with charcoal in the bathroom. It's ironic that the heaviest scene became the subject of the biggest misunderstanding.

The second is "Red Light, Green Light." The English subtitles translate it as "Red Light, Green Light," but the problem is that the game itself is different.

In the Western version, the seeker simply calls out red light and green light, while the Korean version is more like a rhythm game where players must stop moving when the song ends. Foreigners wondered, "Why is that big doll singing in Korean? Isn't it supposed to be red light, green light?" and they couldn't keep the rhythm.

The third is dalgona. Foreigners were introduced to it simply as "Korean candy," missing the key context.

Not knowing that it's a nostalgic street snack where you carefully cut out shapes like umbrellas and stars with a needle, many thought, "Why are these grown adults risking their lives over candy crumbs?" When Sang-woo picked the umbrella shape, Koreans instinctively thought, "He's done for," while foreigners only saw the caramel color.

Seeing that people around the world attempted to make dalgona in their kitchens during Halloween season shows that they eventually fell for its charm.

The fourth is the meaning of "ganbu." In the English subtitles, it was simply translated as "partner," but the deep bond that Koreans formed as children by linking pinkies and saying, "Let's be ganbu" cannot be conveyed with just one word. The weight of the phrase when Oh Il-nam tells Gi-hun, "We're ganbu" sounded to foreign viewers like a dry term for a business partner. The emotional impact of that scene was diminished by the translation barrier.

The fifth is the setting regarding debt and family responsibility. The characters in Squid Game are deeply in debt and unable to send money to their families, which is seen as a relatively realistic scenario in Korea. However, some foreign viewers reacted by asking, "Why would they sacrifice so much for family?" This reflects the unique sense of family responsibility and economic pressure in Korean society, highlighting the cultural differences.

Observing these differences reminds us that while content can transcend language, culture cannot.

In this light, Squid Game is not just a simple survival drama; it contains deeply Korean elements. While the whole world enjoyed it, the fact that everyone interprets it differently adds to the intrigue of the work.