Yes — Squid Game is a South Korean series, created, written and directed by Hwang Dong-hyuk, filmed in South Korea, and streaming on Netflix in all 3 seasons (September 17, 2021 to June 27, 2025, 22 episodes).
If you are catching up from outside Korea, that one answer covers most of what you need.
This post gives the evidence for the Korean-origin answer, the filming locations, the season-by-season count, and where to watch it in your region.
Contents
- Is Squid Games Korean? Yes — a South Korean Netflix original
- Who made Squid Game and who’s in it
- Where was Squid Game filmed?
- How many seasons are there — and is it finished?
- Where can I watch Squid Game where you are?
Is Squid Games Korean? Yes — a South Korean Netflix original
Yes — Squid Game is a South Korean series, and every checkable fact points the same way.
The country of origin is South Korea, the original language is Korean, and it was created, written and directed by Hwang Dong-hyuk.
The production company is Siren Pictures Inc., a Korean company, and Netflix Tudum describes the main set as located in South Korea.
It is not only Korean sources saying this.
Euronews covered the Season 2 date announcement as the ‘hit K-drama series Squid Game’, and Netflix Tudum itself calls it ‘the Korean drama’.
When the creator, the language, the production company and independent foreign press all agree, the label question is settled.
The first thing I check for readers outside Korea is where a show can actually be watched — and here the answer is simple: Netflix, everywhere it operates, with no regional broadcaster involved.
If a site claims Squid Game airs on a local broadcaster in your country, that is not how the rights are set up.
| Season 1 (September 17, 2021) | 9 episodes · 476 minutes |
|---|---|
| Season 2 (December 26, 2024) | 7 episodes · 428 minutes |
| Season 3, final (June 27, 2025) | 6 episodes · 376 minutes |
Who made Squid Game and who’s in it
Squid Game was created, written, directed and produced by Hwang Dong-hyuk, with music composed by Jung Jae-il.
Lee Jung-jae leads the cast as the central player, alongside Lee Byung-hun and Wi Ha-jun; Gong Yoo appears in Season 1, as do Park Hae-soo, Jung Ho-yeon and Heo Sung-tae.
Season 2 added Im Si-wan, Kang Ha-neul, Park Sung-hoon, Lee David, Jo Yu-ri and Choi Seung-hyun (T.O.P) to the cast.
The premise: 456 players in financial crisis compete in deadly children’s games for a 45.6 billion won prize — about US$39.86 million.
The show’s genre is survival thriller with a dystopian-drama layer, which is why the children’s-game framing reads darker than it sounds.
If you are starting fresh, none of this requires prior knowledge of Korean television — the story explains itself in the first episode.
Where was Squid Game filmed?
Squid Game was filmed in South Korea, with two main locations.
Urban city scenes were shot in Daejeon, and the island set was filmed on Seongapdo in Ongjin-gun, Incheon.
Filming ran from June to October 2020, including a mandatory one-month break caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The set design is deliberately Korean: the maze-like corridors and stairways reference M.C.
Escher’s stair drawings, while the green-and-pink color scheme echoes 1970s–80s Korean school interiors.
Art director Chae Kyung-sun designed the dorm as ‘people abandoned on a road’, a concept reused in the tug-of-war game.
If you recognize the tracksuits or the stairways from screenshots, that is the 1970s Korean sportswear influence — the design is period-specific, not generic.
How many seasons are there — and is it finished?
Squid Game ran 3 seasons on Netflix from September 17, 2021 to June 27, 2025 — 22 episodes totaling about 21 hours 20 minutes.
| Season | Episodes | Total minutes | Premiere | Finale |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season 1 | 9 | 476 | 2021-09-17 | 2021-09-17 |
| Season 2 | 7 | 428 | — | — |
| Season 3 | 6 | 376 | — | 2025-06-27 |
| Total | 22 | 1,280 | 2021-09-17 | 2025-06-27 |
Season 3 is the final season; the story is finished and no further broadcast is scheduled.
Episodes run 32–76 minutes rather than a fixed one-hour format, so plan your viewing by total minutes, not episode count.
For planning a full watch: Season 1 is 9 episodes, Season 2 is 7, and Season 3 is 6 — about 21.3 hours for all 22 episodes, or roughly 7.3 episodes per season on average.
Season 3 was shot back-to-back with Season 2, which is why the final season arrived only six months after Season 2.
If you have one free weekend, the whole series fits in about 21 hours; if you are spacing it out, one season per weekend works cleanly.
Where can I watch Squid Game where you are?
Squid Game is available on Netflix in every region Netflix operates — it is a Netflix original, so no regional broadcaster holds separate rights.
A subscription is required, and Korean audio with localized subtitles and dubs is available on the platform.
One caution: exact subscription prices and per-region subtitle and dub language lists were not verified from Netflix’s primary pages in this run, so check Netflix’s live pricing page for your country before signing up.
The show itself, though, is not region-locked in the way licensed cable shows are.
If I were recommending it to a first-time viewer, I would say watch it with Korean audio and subtitles — that is the way it is meant to be seen, and the dubs are there if you need them.
👉 Hwang Dong-hyuk’s filmography
👉 Squid Game Season 2 announcement
👉 Squid Game (Korean Wikipedia)
Related posts
Sources
- Korean Wikipedia confirms South Korean Netflix series, Siren (ko.wikipedia.org)
- Tudum describes the Korean drama with set in South Korea; ca (netflix.com)
- Independent coverage frames it as ‘hit K-drama series Squid (euronews.com)
What to check next
- Season 3 is confirmed as the final season, so there are no more Squid Game release dates to watch for.
- For follow-ups, Netflix’s Tudum hub lists related Hwang Dong-hyuk Korean titles as suggested next watches.
- Check your country’s live Netflix pricing page before subscribing, since subscription costs vary by region.
- Most-watched rankings shift over time, so check Netflix’s current Top 10 page for the latest figures.
FAQ
Q. Is Squid Game a Korean show?
Yes — it is a South Korean series in the Korean language, created by Hwang Dong-hyuk and produced by Siren Pictures Inc., and both Netflix and foreign press such as Euronews describe it as a K-drama.
Q. Who created Squid Game?
Hwang Dong-hyuk created, wrote, directed and produced the series, with music by Jung Jae-il. The production company is Siren Pictures Inc.
Q. Where was Squid Game filmed?
In South Korea — city scenes were filmed in Daejeon, and the island set was filmed on Seongapdo in Ongjin-gun, Incheon.
Q. How many seasons of Squid Game are there?
Three seasons, 22 episodes total, released on Netflix between September 17, 2021 and June 27, 2025. Season 3 is the final season.
Q. Is Squid Game finished?
Yes — the story concluded with Season 3, released June 27, 2025. No spin-off or sequel has been confirmed.
Check your local Netflix catalog and pricing page for current plan details.
Cover photo: Netflix House Dallas, Squid Game Frontman 2 (full) by Violet Adazé, Netflix — CC BY 4.0
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