NEW YORK, Oct. 27, 2021 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- On October 26, the Korea Tourism Organization's New York Office hosted "Korea Tour with Squid Games in New York." The six-hour event started at noon and took place at Studio 525 in Manhattan, complete with Korean games as seen on the popular Netflix series "Squid Game."
"Squid Game" is a South Korean fictional drama series revolving around a life-and-death contest involving 456 heavily-indebted players competing for a massive cash prize. The show has received universal and critical acclaim and became one of Netflix's most-watched programs in several markets within a week of its release.
Out of 3,115 applicants, 80 were randomly selected to participate in the Korea Tourism Organization's Squid Games event. To qualify, applicants had to be 18 years or older and fully vaccination. The winnings did not include a multi-million dollar cash prize as in the show, but the participants were dressed in the trademark green tracksuits and competed in games which included "Red Light, Green Light" and the "Ddakji Game" for prizes ranging from Apple Watch 7s to a round-trip ticket to Korea. The Grand Prize airline ticket to Korea was won by Charles Torres.
Park Jae-seok, executive director of the Korea Tourism Organization, New York Branch, said, "During the application process, over 3,000 people applied in one week, and I realized the popularity of the "Squid Game" in the United States. This event created an avenue to increase the interest of Korean tourism, at a time when curiosity of Korean culture reached its peak as a result the "Squid Game."
In addition to competing, the participants had an opportunity to experience a taste of Korean Culture as they visited Manhattan's Korean-inspired sites. The first site was a visit to the Arts of Korea gallery (233) at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Established in 1998, the gallery displays, on a rotating basis, prominent pieces of Korean culture and art, including ceramics, paintings, sculptures, and textiles dating as far back as the fourth century B.C.
This was followed by a visit to the Korean Cultural Center New York, a government institution inaugurated in 1979 to promote Korean culture and aesthetics in New York City via cultural and artistic activities. They are known for their gallery exhibitions, performing arts concerts, and film festivals in addition to their various educational programs.
To further promote other areas of Korean culture, additional tour locations included the Line Friends Store in Times Square and H-Mart. The games concluded in Koreatown, affectionately known as K-Town, in Manhattan. Centered on 32nd Street between Madison Avenue and Broadway, the ethnic Korean enclave has emerged as an international economic outpost in Midtown NYC.
Media Contact
Kuki Son, Korea Tourism Organization New York Office, +1 (201) 675-8411, [email protected]
SOURCE Korea Tourism Organization New York Office
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