"I'll Join Squid Game..." Thousands of Calls Flood In Due to Number Exposure

The Netflix drama "Squid Game," which has recently gained popularity, has been embroiled in a controversy over the exposure of a personal phone number.
[Photo by Netflix]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hwang Sumi] The recently popular Netflix drama "Ojingeo Game" (Squid Game) has been embroiled in controversy over the exposure of a personal phone number.

On the 17th, in episode 1 of "Ojingeo Game," the protagonist Gihoon (Lee Jung-jae) receives an invitation to a survival game from an unidentified man. The invitation contained an 8-digit phone number.

This number was the actual mobile phone number that Mr. A has been using for over 10 years. Mr. A complained that thousands of calls have been made to him since the drama was released that day.

Mr. A said, "The calls come day and night, and my phone battery drains in half a day." Several people also cursed and hung up.

Mr. A also said that some viewers, immersed in the drama, called and asked, "I want to participate in Ojingeo Game."

Mr. B, who has a number similar to Mr. A's, also expressed distress. Mr. B said, "The number on the business card in Ojingeo Game is just one digit off from mine," adding, "Only the last digit is slightly different, but people keep misreading it and calling me."

He continued, "I've been getting countless calls for several days now," and added, "Director of Ojingeo Game, please contact me. This is very stressful."

In the first episode of the Netflix Korean drama "Ojingeo Game" released on the 17th, the protagonist Gihoon (Lee Jung-jae) receives an invitation to a survival game from a mysterious man. The invitation had an 8-digit phone number written on it.
[Photo by Netflix]

Netizens poured criticism on the drama production company. Comments included, "They zoomed in on the number in the drama, so I never thought it was a real number," and "The production company really has no consideration. The victim should definitely receive compensation."

Negative voices were also raised against prank callers. One netizen criticized, "The production company is a problem, but I don't understand what the people making the calls are thinking," adding, "There are really many people with nothing better to do."

Meanwhile, Siren Pictures, the production company of "Ojingeo Game," stated regarding the controversy, "We have spoken several times with the owner of the number before the holiday" and "We are making efforts to resolve the issue amicably."

Netflix, the distributor, also said, "Both Netflix and the production company Siren Pictures are aware of the issue" and "We will work to resolve the problem."