'Squid Game' Dalgona Candy Also Explodes in Popularity on Online Shopping Malls

Promotion with the phrase "99% synchronization with the drama, same design"

Advertising screen of Dalgona sold on Chinese online shopping mall Taobao. / Photo by Taobao capture

[Asia Economy Reporter Kang Juhee] Netflix original series 'Squid Game' is gaining huge popularity worldwide, and even in China, where Netflix is not available, there is a high level of interest in the sugar candy 'Dalgona' featured in the show.

Chinese media Xiaoxiang Chenbao reported on the 12th that "'Dalgona' from 'Squid Game' is exploding in popularity," adding, "Many bloggers have tried making Dalgona themselves, and viewers have ordered Dalgona with the same designs as seen in the series to try it out."

'Squid Game' tells the story of participants risking their lives to become winners in a mysterious game with a prize of 45.6 billion won, and Dalgona appears in the second survival game. Players choose one of several Dalgona shapes and have 10 minutes to carve out the shape from the sugar candy.

Currently, searching for 'Squid Game Dalgona' on the Chinese online shopping mall Taobao reveals many sellers. One seller promoted the product with images from the Dalgona game scene in the drama and phrases like "99% synchronization, same design as 'Squid Game'."

They also differentiate difficulty levels by shape, such as round and umbrella shapes, and provide metal cylindrical boxes and needles. The price is about 10 yuan (approximately 1,800 won) per piece.

Netflix's Korean drama 'Ojingeo Game' / Photo by Netflix

Xiaoxiang Chenbao reported that the release date of Dalgona products from sellers is around the end of this month, emerging alongside the drama's popularity. It also pointed out that quality control of Dalgona products made in China is sometimes inadequate, and prices vary.

Meanwhile, although Netflix is not available in China, it is known that 'Squid Game' has been illegally distributed on more than 60 illegal sites recently.

On Weibo, known as the Chinese version of Twitter, posts with the hashtag 'Squid Game' have accumulated 1.94 billion views, indicating great popularity.

The Hong Kong South China Morning Post (SCMP) also reported on the 7th that "products inspired by 'Squid Game' are spreading across global e-commerce platforms, with many products being manufactured in China."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.