Korean Red light Green Light (Mugunghwa kotee peeutseupneeda)

How popular is it in Korea?

Korean style of 'Red light green light' has been one of the most popular childhood games in Korea. Lots of kids got together and played it without any special tools or kits. The rules on Squid game are much different from the original game. 

How to play it?

The basic rules are quite similar to Red light green light game. Choose one person to be the 'Sulrae'(술래) who is the traffic cop in red light green light game. Other people stand few feet from Sulrae behind the starting line set up. Sulrae closes his/her eyes, face the other direction where no one is and says "Mu gung hwa got ee pee ut seup nee da". Then turn around to face the rest of players. 

While Sulrae's eyes are closed, the other players race toward Sulrae. When Sulrae turns around, everyone should freeze. If Sulrae sees any player moving, that person is sent to Sulrae and lock the pinkies just like pinky promise gesture. The game ends if every player gets caught moving forward.

Any player who goes close to Sulrae without getting caught can break this pinkies lock by separating their pinky fingers with his/her hand cutting through. When successfully cut, everyone who was connected by pinkies lock can run back to the start line. And, Sulrae has to catch them. Any player caught by Sulrae becomes next Sulrae.

How do you say red light green light in Korean?

It's 'Mugunghwa kotee peeutseupneeda' which means 'Mugunghwa flower has blossomed'. Mugunghwa is Korea's national flower which is the rose of Sharon. When Korea was colonized by Japan from 1910 for more than 30 years, Korean people used the phrase as a symbolism meaning the flower(Korea) would bloom and bloom forever.