Where was Squid Game filmed? Location guide for Netflix series
The South Korean series utilises two key locations.
The success of Squid Game has made Korean television dramas a hot commodity in the entertainment industry, with several others also garnering international attention from Netflix's enormous global audience.
Although Squid Game certainly doesn't shy away from the sociopolitical issues facing South Korea, some viewers have still found themselves intrigued by the idea of visiting the East Asian country.
In recent years, it has become known as an advanced technological centre, but as Squid Game and Bong Joon-ho's Parasite have starkly drawn attention to, it also suffers from a troubling disparity between the richest and the poorest citizens.
The story of the Netflix series by Hwang Dong-hyuk begins on the Seoul subway system, where a mysterious salesman (played by Gong Yoo) recruits the unassuming Gi-hun for the twisted game of life or death.
As for the surreal Squid Game compound, that had to be constructed from scratch as you would expect – here's where Squid Game was filmed.
Where was Squid Game filmed?
The city of Daejeon played home to Squid Game and it was where the cast was tagging themselves while they were filming, with many of the sets being built specifically for the show.
With a population of just over 1.5 million people, Daejeon is the fifth largest city in South Korea and located in the central region of the country just under an hour away from the capital, Seoul, by high speed train.
The city is one of the high-tech capitals of the region and has earned itself the nickname of Asia's Silicon Valley with some people, referencing the high density of research universities and tech companies concentrated in the area.
In fact, the research and development headquarters of companies including Samsung and LG are located in and around the city, which is twinned with Seattle in the United States and Brisbane in Australia.
It's also no stranger to filming high-profile projects too, with hit zombie movie Train to Busan also being shot there. Alas, If you want to go, it will take you upwards of 14 hours to fly from the UK, which isn't the easiest of journeys.
Where is the Squid Game island?
To the characters of the show, that remains a mystery – but in real-life, we know that the Squid Game island is actually Seongapdo.
Unfortunately, anyone wishing to visit this particular location is out of luck: Seongapdo is a private island that is not open to public visits or tourism.
It is also a considerable distance away from Incheon, a coastal city bordering Seoul where Gi-hun almost boards a flight at the end of season 1, so it isn't surprising that the Squid Game has remained undetected for so long.
What is Squid Game about?
The show focuses on a group of people who are all short on money and decide to take part in a game show that is based on the games that children play. The price is a life-changing sum of money, but the cost for losing is death.
And here is a trailer for the show if you have not yet watched it and you want to see what all the fuss is about.
Read more about Squid Game:
- Squid Game true story – Real life inspiration behind Netflix series
- Squid Game money: How much is 45.6 billion Won prize money in dollars and pounds?
- How to make Squid Game cookies
- Is Squid Game dubbed into English? How to watch with voice actors and subtitles
- Squid Game season 1 ending explained
- Squid Game soundtrack: Every track from Netflix drama
Squid Game is now available to watch on Netflix.
Check out our lists of the best TV shows on Netflix and the best movies on Netflix or alternatively head to our TV Guide or Streaming Guide to find out what's on.
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Authors
David Craig is the Senior Drama Writer for Radio Times, covering the latest and greatest scripted drama and comedy across television and streaming. Previously, he worked at Starburst Magazine, presented The Winter King Podcast for ITVX and studied Journalism at the University of Sheffield.