[Korean Culture & Language] Squid Game/Red light green light

Hello, this is Uptempo Marketers!

Korean Culture & Language / Squid Game / “Red Light, Green Light”: a somewhat literary critique

Translation is not just about delivering the meanings of words; it’s also about delivering the experiences that those words inspire. Therein lies the difference between literal and liberal translation. And “Red Light, Green Light” is a liberal translation of the following phrase:

Korean	무궁화	꽃이	피었습니다
sound	Mu-gung-hwa	kko-chi	pi-yeot-seum-ni-da
meaning	Mugunghwa	flower has	blossomed

Mugunghwa is the national flower of South Korea, and it’s a very pretty flower, but of course it is not well-known outside of Korea. For this reason and others, I presume, the Netflix translator(s) took the liberty to drop the literal meaning of the original phrase while conveying the rules of the game.

But I can’t help but feel a little dissatisfied with this translation, because it sacrifices the musical and poetic elements of the game that I love. So in this piece, I will try to explain what those elements are, and hopefully bring some readers closer to the Korean culture in the process.

In the English version of the game, the person chosen to be ‘It’ (술래 or sullae in Korean) calls out “red light” and “green light” alternately; she says “green light” as she turns her back to the other players, and says “red light” as she spins around to face them.

But in the original game, there is no red or green light. Instead, the sullae recites a melodic chant composed of 10 notes. Every time she turns her back on the other players, she must sing through the following chant before she can look at the players again:

Here’s a good youtube clip on how to sing the chant properly: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZvsY4oaDRSQ.

Have you heard the chant? What a curious tune it is. Depending on the context, it can be an eerie tune. Imagine yourself trapped in darkness, and you feel the presence of spirits coming to get you. You want to turn on the lights, because ghosts can only move in the dark (of course), but the only way to do that is to sing through this tune. That’s the sort of suspense that comes with this musical element. When you’re trying to keep spirits from getting you, it’s more suspenseful to have to finish singing a tune than it is to yell “red light.”

Also, because the chant is composed of 10 notes, it gives everyone more room to strategize. Consider the following scene:

The sullae starts off the first 5 notes very slowly, to set everyone at ease. Three brave kids (Kim, Lee, and Park) take this opportunity to make big strides toward the sullae. But then suddenly the sullae rushes through the remaining 5 notes, catching Kim off guard. Kim stumbles as the sullae turns around, and gets called out. Lee is able to stop in time thanks to his superior reflexes. Park has bad reflexes, but he had expected the trap and intended to stop on the 5th note from the start. 

Meanwhile, with “Red Light, Green Light,” the sullae can turn around whenever she wants to, without warning. So reflexes and strategies matter less; it’s mostly a guessing game. And it makes the game too easy for the sullae. Dropping the musical element of the game results in simplifying how the game is played. 

So that’s why I think the musical element is important, but what about the poetic element? Remember our national flower, the Mugunghwa?

Keep in mind that, in the original game, the sullae must chant “Mugunghwa flower has blossomed!” in order to take a look at the other players. So “Mugunghwa flower has blossomed” is like an incantation that lets the sullae open her eyes. And when her eyes are open, everyone else must freeze or else get called out. So “Mugunghwa flower has blossomed” is also an incantation that makes the other players stop moving. 

Also keep in mind that the sullae is trying to catch the others, and the others are trying to catch the sullae. They’re sneaking up on each other. So when the sullae yells out, “Mugunghwa flower has blossomed!” and spins around, she sees the frozen faces of her excited friends greeting her like blossoming flowers. And her friends see a flower blossom too; whenever the sullae yells “Mugunghwa flower has blossomed!” and spins around, her excited, anticipating face looks like a blooming flower to them. 

This is why I would want to include the flowering element in the sullae’s chant. The image of flowers blooming adds a poetic layer of fun to the game.

But is it possible to put together an English phrase that encompasses these musical and poetic elements? If I were to suggest an alternative translation, I would go with something like the following:

But is this really a better translation than “Red Light, Green Light?” Perhaps not. Maybe there are marketing factors that make “Red Light, Green Light” a better title for the international audience.

Translation can be a very tricky craft. Sometimes, it’s just impossible to deliver the full scope of experiences that a phrase entails; so you have to sacrifice something to preserve something else. 

I hope some of you learned something interesting about the Korean culture through this piece. Until next time!