History Recap / SquidGameS1E1RedLightGreenLight

That night, Gi-hun takes his daughter out for food with what little money he has left. He treats Ga-yeong to a basic birthday dinner of street food and a useless gift from a claw machine (a toy gun). Gi-hun feels disappointed that he can't give her as much as her stepfather despite her reassurance that she prefers the street food over the fancy steak dinner her stepfather treated her to. After dropping her off back home, Gi-hun encounters a man at a train station who challenges him to ''ddakji'', a simple children's game where the aim is to throw and flip the other player's paper card over. Each round, whoever loses will give the other ₩100,000 (around $85). However, since Gi-hun doesn't have that money, the salesman instead slaps him in the face when he loses. Determined to win, Gi-hun tries and is slapped multiple times until he finally wins. The salesman makes him an offer - he can do this same sort of thing again for much bigger prizes. He gives Gi-hun a card with a phone number and bids him farewell as he leaves on the incoming train, [[PerpetualSmiler never breaking his mysterious smile]].

Gi-hun wakes up in a giant room full of bunk beds and wearing a green tracksuit marked with the number "456" on the breast. There are hundreds of other people in there too, each wearing a similar suit and number. A display reads that there are 456 participants in the game. A voice rings out and the people are ushered into lines and taken out. Masked men in pink jumpsuits and masks with symbols, ranging from circles to triangles to squares, explain that this is the game and that they can win cash prizes in the rounds to follow. One man complains, asking why they were drugged and brought here. The leader singles him out, revealing that the man is deep in debt. He then reveals that everyone here is in the same position, all in dire financial straits and in need of relief. All of them also signed away their physical rights before coming here. They're then given a second contract - players can leave if the majority vote to leave, but they make no money. Everyone signs, and proceeds to the next room. During this, Gi-hun meets four people - Player 001, an old man suffering from a brain tumor; Player 101, a gangster named Jang Deok-su; Player 067, [[ChekhovsGunman the female pickpocket who stole his winnings]] at the horseraces in the middle of a beatdown being delivered by Deok-su, whom she had betrayed some time ago; and to Gi-hun's amazement, Cho Sang-woo (Player 218), his childhood best friend who had attended and graduated from the prestigious Seoul National University and was thought to be financially successful. An announcement rings out: All players assemble for the first game, which is revealed in the next room - [[TitleDrop "Red Light/Green Light", or in Korean, ''무궁화 꽃이 피었습니다'']] ("The hibiscus flower is blooming").

* OnceMoreWithClarity: After Gi-hun finds out that his daughter is moving to the USA with her mother and stepfather, we cut back to the scene where he promises to get her a better gift for her next birthday. Her reaction isn't just disappointment - it's sadness because she knows he won't be around for her next birthday.

* CouldntFindAPen: A variant; the loan sharks ask for Gi-hun'd thumbprint when he signs an agreement with them, but instead of an ink pad, they make him use the blood from his injured nose.

* OrganTheft: The loan sharks warm Gi-hun that, if he doesn't make his next payment, they'll take one of his kidneys… and if he missed the payment after that, they'll take [[EyeScream an eye]].

* WinHerAPrize: A platonic variant; Gi-hun tries to win his daughter a birthday gift from a claw machine; since Gi-hun's HumiliationConga wasn't finished yet, he blows a huge chunk of money on numerous failed attempts before a random little boy helps him win something anyway… and it turns out to be something totally unsuited for a child's birthday present anyway.

* DaylightHorror: The "Red Light, Green Light" massacre occurs in broad daylight.

A giant doll stands at the end of an enclosure. It explains the rules: It sings the jingle and then turns around. If it sees a player moving while it's facing them, they are disqualified. They have five minutes to cross the finish line at the end of the room. [[ThoseTwoGuys Players 324 and 250]] make a bet on who gets to the finish line first, the winner getting a million dollars. The players start running. The doll turns around for the first time and sees Player 324 moving [[WhamShot and he's struck by a bullet]]. 250 cheekily comments on his loss, [[OhCrap until he sees the other man vomit up blood and lay motionless]]. Then he realizes the man is dead and begins to run back in a panic. Unfortunately, the doll sees him moving as well and he's soon riddled with bullets, his blood splattering on the face of Player 306. She screams in horror and is killed as well. [[MassOhCrap This leads to a bunch of players trying to run away in panic as they see what "elimination" truly means]].

** Ga-yeong tells Gi-hun to not use the gun lighter for smoking. Gi-hun acts shocked and says he's clean. She sees right past it, and sniffs Gi-hun, giving him a skeptical look.

Gi-hun is approaching the finish line, as the others have already made it. However, as he's about to trip when the doll turns around, he's stopped and held up at the last second by another player: a foreigner who runs with him across the finish line [[JustInTime at the very last second]]. [[TimedMission Those who haven't made it across the finish line are disqualified and shot to death.]] It dawns on Gi-hun and the others that this isn't any ordinary game. This is life or death.

* MoodWhiplash: Players 324 and 250 make a bet as VitriolicBestBuds; whoever crosses the finish line first gets a million won. It's at first humorous that 324 can't freeze as 250 says, "Dumbass got caught." Then they both hear a bang, and 324 collapses. 250 goes OhCrap, runs to 324 as soon as the doll gives the go-ahead, and checks on him. 324 is ''bleeding''.

* AnOfferYouCantRefuse: Invoked and exploited. Gi-hun and every other debtor invited to the games are met with a salesman-like person who offers to play ''ddakji'' with them for ₩100,000. If they lose, they have to pay the same amount. Since virtually none of them have that much on them, they are allowed to waive the payment with a slap in the face, and can keep playing until they win. Once they win the money, the salesman then gives them a card with a phone number, and invites them to take part in a series of games for an even bigger cash prize. They are skeptical at first, but because they all face varied yet near-serious consequences if they can't pay their personal debts (in Gi-hun's case, losing his eyes and kidneys to a LoanShark), they all call and accept.

Seong Gi-hun is an impoverished divorcee who works as a chauffeur, struggles with a gambling addiction, is knee-deep in debt, and still lives with his elderly mother, who works to make ends meet for both of them. On his daughter Ga-yeong's birthday, his mother gives him ₩20,000 won (roughly $17 USD) to buy her dinner and a present. However, with other plans for the money, Gi-hun whines that [[BlatantLies 20,000 won't even be enough for a fried chicken dinner]], so his mother reluctantly coughs up more before she scurries off to work. Gi-hun also takes her hidden bank card with the intent of stealing funds for him and his buddy to bet on the horseraces. He wins big but is spotted by one of the [[LoanShark loan sharks he owes a debt to]]. He runs, but a pickpocket steals his winnings and he can't even pay them. Their leader makes him sign a contract signing away his physical rights, making him sign it with his blood.

That night, Gi-hun takes his daughter out for food with what little money he has left. He treats Ga-yeong to a basic birthday dinner of street food and a useless gift from a claw machine (a toy gun). Gi-hun feels disappointed that he can't give her as much as her stepfather despite her reassurance that she prefers the street food over the fancy steak dinner her stepfather treated her to. After dropping her off back home, Gi-hun encounters a man at a train station who challenges him to ''ddakji'', a simple children's game where the aim is to throw and flip the other player's paper card over. Each round, whoever loses will give the other ₩100,000 (around $85). However, since Gi-hun doesn't have that money, the salesman instead slaps him in the face when he loses. Determined to win, Gi-hun tries and is slapped multiple times until he finally wins. The man makes him an offer - he can do this same sort of thing again for much bigger prizes. He gives Gi-hun a card with a phone number and bids him farewell as he leaves on the incoming train, [[PerpetualSmiler never breaking his mysterious smile]].

The next day, Gi-hun finds out that his ex-wife is planning to move to America. Her new husband (Ga-yeong's stepfather) has gotten a job opportunity and he's going to move the family there. This will mean Gi-hun won't be able to see her. Gi-hun's mother notes that if he had more money, he'd be able to prove he's able to financially support her better and be able to make a case for shared custody. Gi-hun pulls out the card and calls the number. He's told to wait on a corner at night. He recites a passcode[[note]]"무궁화 꽃이 피었습니다", or "Red Light, Green Light" (literal translation: "The Rose of Sharon has bloomed.") [[/note]] he was told when a mysterious van pulls up. He's ushered in next to some other people. [[OhCrap And then knockout gas is pumped into the van and he falls unconscious.]]

A giant doll stands at the end of an enclosure. It explains the rules: It sings the titular jingle and then turns around. If it sees a player moving while it's facing them, they are disqualified. They have five minutes to cross the finish line at the end of the room. [[ThoseTwoGuys Players 324 and 250]] make a bet on who gets to the finish line first, the winner getting a million dollars. The players start running. The doll turns around for the first time and sees Player 324 moving [[WhamShot and he's struck by a bullet]]. 250 cheekily comments on his loss, [[OhCrap until he sees the other man vomit up blood and lay motionless]]. Then he realizes the man is dead and begins to run back in a panic. Unfortunately, the doll sees him moving as well and he's soon riddled with bullets, his blood splattering on the face of Player 306. She screams in horror and is killed as well. [[MassOhCrap This leads to a bunch of players trying to run away in panic as they see what "elimination" truly means]].

Gi-hun is approaching the finish line, as the others have already made it. However, as he's about to trip when the doll turns around, he's stopped held up at the last second by another player: a foreigner who runs with him across the finish line [[JustInTime at the very last second]]. [[TimedMission Those who haven't made it across the finish line are disqualified and shot to death.]] It dawns on Gi-hun and the others that this isn't any ordinary game. This is life or death.

** Gi-hun complains to his mother that ₩20,000 (around $17 in US dollars) is not enough for even a fried chicken dinner.
** Ga-yeong tells Gi-hun to not use the gun lighter for smoking. Gi-hun acts shocked and says he's quit smoking. She sees right past it, and sniffs Gi-hun, giving him a skeptical look.

Seong Gi-hun is an impoverished divorcee who works as a chauffeur, struggles with a gambling addiction, and still lives with his elderly mother, who works to make ends meet for the both of them. On his daughter Ga-yeong's birthday, his mother gives him ₩20,000 won (roughly $17 USD) to spend for Ga-yeong's birthday. However, with other plans for the money, Gi-hun whines that [[BlatantLies 20,000 won't even be enough for a fried chicken dinner]], so his mother reluctantly coughs up more before she scurries off to work. Gi-hun also takes her hidden bank card with the intent of stealing funds for him and his buddy to bet on the horseraces. He wins big but is spotted by one of the [[LoanShark loan sharks he owes a debt to]]. He runs, but a pickpocket steals his winnings and he can't even pay them. Their leader makes him sign a contract signing away his physical rights, making him sign it with his blood.

That evening, after treating Ga-yeong to a basic birthday dinner of street food and a useless gift from a claw machine, Gi-hun encounters a man at a train station who challenges him to ''ddakji'', a simple children's game where the aim is to throw and flip the other player's paper card over, and the prize for winning is ₩100,000 (about $85) and, since he lacked the equal amount, the penalty for losing is a good slap in the face. Gi-hun loses [[ButtMonkey about ten times]] before finally managing to win, barely remembering to take the money instead of slapping back. The man makes him an offer - he can do this same sort of thing again for much bigger prizes. He gives Gi-hun a card with a phone number and bids him farewell as he leaves on the incoming train, [[PerpetualSmiler never breaking his mysterious smile]].

Gi-hun wakes up in a giant room full of bunk beds and wearing a green tracksuit marked with the number "456" on the breast. There are hundreds of other people in there too, each wearing a similar suit and number. A display reads that there are 456 participants in the game. A voice rings out and the people are ushered into lines and taken out. Masked men in pink jumpsuits and masks with symbols, ranging from circles to triangles to squares, explain that this is the game and that they can win cash prizes in the rounds to follow. One man complains, asking why they were drugged and brought here. The leader singles him out, revealing that the man is deep in debt. He then reveals that everyone here is in the same position, all in dire financial straits and in need of relief. All of them also signed away their physical rights before coming here. They're then given a second contract - players can leave if the majority vote to leave, but they make no money. Everyone signs, and proceeds to the next room. During this, Gi-hun meets four people - an old man suffering a brain tumor; Deok-Su, a gangster; [[ChekhovsGunman the female pickpocket who stole his winnings]] at the horseraces in the middle of a beatdown being delivered by Deok-Su, whom she had betrayed some time ago; and to Gi-hun's amazement, Sang-woo, his childhood best friend who had attended and graduated from the prestigious Seoul National University and was thought to be financially successful. An announcement rings out: All players assemble for the first game, which is revealed in the next room - [[TitleDrop "Red Light/Green Light", or in Korean, ''무궁화 꽃이 피었습니다'']] ("The hibiscus flower is blooming").

A giant doll stands at the end of an enclosure. It explains the rules: It sings the titular jingle and then turns around. If it sees a player moving while it's facing them, they are disqualified. They have five minutes to cross the finish line at the end of the room. [[ThoseTwoGuys Two slacker players make a bet]] on who gets to the finish line first, the winner getting a million dollars. The players start running. The doll turns around for the first time. One of the two players who made the bet is seen moving. [[WhamShot And a bullet strikes him.]] The other one cheekily comments on his loss, [[OhCrap until he sees the other man vomit up blood and lay motionless]]. Then he realizes the man is dead and begins to run back in a panic. Unfortunately, the doll sees him moving as well and he's soon riddled with bullets, his blood splattered on the face of a woman in front of him. She then screams and [[MassOhCrap everyone is set off in a panic as they realize what game they really are playing]].

* ButtMonkey: Let's just say that things aren't really going too well for Gi-hun: he's a slacker and gambler in severe debt and in danger of losing a kidney to loan sharks, and his ex-wife is leaving for America with their daughter, who will probably lose her connection with her father and Korean heritage.

* EntitledBastard: Gi-hun's EstablishingCharacterMoment involves him needling his mom to lend him more money, ostensibly to buy his daughter something nice for her birthday but really just to go gambling. After stealing his mom's debit card, he's outraged to learn that she changed the PIN so it's no longer his birthday.

* FallenOnHardTimesJob: Gi-hun works as a chauffeur, which doesn't pay that well. The game salesman later reveals that he once worked for a car manufacturing company for over a decade, but was fired a decade before.

Seong Gi-hun is an impoverished divorcee who works as a chauffeur, struggles with a gambling addiction, and still lives with his elderly mother, who works to make ends meet for the both of them. On his daughter Ga-yeong's birthday, his mother gives him 20,000 won (roughly 17 USD) to spend for Ga-yeong's birthday. However, with other plans for the money, Gi-hun whines that [[BlatantLies 20,000 won't even be enough for a fried chicken dinner]], so his mother reluctantly coughs up more, as she scurries off to work. Gi-hun also takes her hidden bank card with the intent of stealing funds for him and his buddy to bet on the horseraces. He wins big but is spotted by one of the [[LoanShark loan sharks he owes a debt to]]. He runs, but a pickpocket steals his winnings and he can't even pay them. Their leader makes him sign a contract signing away his physical rights, making him sign it with his blood.

That evening, after a mediocre birthday dinner for Ga-Yeong, Gi-hun encounters a man at a train station who challenges him to ''ddakji'', a simple children's game, where the prize for winning is 100,000 won (about $85) and, since he lacked the equal amount, the penalty for losing is a good slap in the face. Gi-hun loses [[ButtMonkey about ten times]] before finally managing to win, barely remembering to take the money instead of slapping back. The man makes him an offer - he can do this same sort of thing again for much bigger prizes. He gives Gi-hun a card and bids him farewell as he leaves on the incoming train, [[PerpetualSmiler never breaking his mysterious smile]].

The next day, Gi-hun finds out that his ex-wife is planning to move to America. Her new husband (Ga-yeong's stepdad) has gotten a job opportunity and he's going to move the family there. This will mean Gi-hun won't be able to see her. Gi-hun's mother notes that if he has money, he'll be able to prove financial independence and be able to take custody of her. Gi-hun pulls out the card and calls the number. He's told to wait on a corner at night. He recites a passcode[[note]]"무궁화 꽃이 피었습니다", or "Red Light, Green Light" (literal translation: "The Rose of Sharon has bloomed.") [[/note]] he was told when a mysterious van pulls up. He's ushered in next to some other people. [[OhCrap And then knockout gas is pumped into the van and he falls unconscious.]]

Gi-hun wakes up in a giant room full of bunkbeds, wearing a green tracksuit. The number "456" is on the breast. There are hundreds of other people in there too, each wearing a similar suit and number. A display reads that there are 456 participants in the game. A voice rings out and the people are ushered into lines and taken out. Masked men in pink jumpsuits and masks with symbols, ranging from circles to triangles to squares, explain that this is the game, and that they can win cash prizes in the rounds to follow. One man complains, asking why they were drugged and brought here. The leader singles him out, revealing that the man is heavily in debt. He then reveals that everyone here is heavily in debt, some owing millions of won, some a billion. All of them also signed away their physical rights before coming here. They're then given a second contract - players can leave if the majority vote to leave, but they make no money. Everyone signs, and proceeds to the next room. During this, Gi-hun meets four people - an old man suffering a brain tumor; Deok-Su, a gangster; [[ChekhovsGunman the female pickpocket who stole his winnings]] at the horseraces, who is introduced whilst in the middle of a beatdown being delivered by Deok-Su, who she had betrayed some time ago; and to Gi-hun's amazement, Sangwoo, his childhood best friend who was the golden boy of the home town and was thought to be incredibly financially stable. An announcement rings out: All players assemble for the first game, which is revealed in the next room - [[TitleDrop "Red Light/Green Light", or in Korean, ''무궁화 꽃이 피었습니다'']] ("The hibiscus flower is blooming").

Other bullets strike as other people move. A series of holes are seen around the walls of the enclosure, each containing a small turret. A woman's voice announces the rules once more: "If you are caught moving, you will be disqualified." With this in mind, the other players attempt to continue—the old man gleefully unaware and playing with gusto; Gi-hun, the pickpocket, Deok-su, Sang-woo, and the other players gathering their wits and continuing forward.

Gi-hun is approaching, as the other characters have already made it. However, as he's about to trip when the doll turns around, he's held up at the last second by another player: a foreigner who runs with him across the finish line [[JustInTime at the very last second]]. [[TimedMission Everyone who hasn't made it across the finish line is disqualified and shot to death.]] It dawns on Gi-hun and the others: this isn't any ordinary game. This is life or death.

* AnOfferYouCantRefuse: Invoked and exploited. Gi-hun and every other debtor invited to the games are met with a salesman-like person who offers to play ''ddakji'' with them for 100,000 won. If they lose, they have to pay the same amount. Since virtually none of them have that much on them, they are allowed to waive the payment with a slap in the face, and can keep playing until they win. Once they win the money, the salesman then gives them a card with a phone number, and invites them to take part in a series of games for an even bigger cash prize. They are skeptic at first, but because they all face varied yet near-serious consequences if they can't pay their personal debts (in Gi-hun's case, losing his eyes and kidneys to a LoanShark), they all call and accept.

** Gi-hun complains to his mother that 20,000 won (around $17 in US dollars) is not enough for even a fried chicken dinner.
** Ga-Yeong tells Gi-hun to not use the gun lighter for smoking. Gi-hun acts shocked and says he's quit smoking. She sees right past it, and smells Gi-hun, giving him a look.
* BloodFromTheMouth: Player 324 after getting shot vomits blood.

* ButtMonkey: Let's just say that things aren't really going too well for Gi-hun: he's a slacker and gambler in severe debt and in danger of losing a kidney to loan sharks, and his ex-wife is leaving to the U.S. with their daughter, who will probably lose her connection with her father and is already starting to see her mother's new husband as her father

* EarlyBirdCameo: [[FreezeFrameBonus It's rather easy to miss]], but some of the players that would play a significant role in later episodes (Such as Mi-nyeo and Ji-yeong) have their mugshots shown in the shot where the player blink out in rapid succession during the mass panic.

** The introductory flashback to the children playing the squid game shows young Gi-hun cheating by pulling a LookBehindYou on his opponent.
** Gi-hun is introduced stealing his mother's credit card so he can gamble, but finding out the passcode isn't his birthday anymore, because his mother doesn't like him as much. He's also shown being nice to a stray cat by feeding it and speaking fondly to it, so he's still established as good-hearted.

* EveryoneHasStandards: Gi-hun is disturbed when he sees an old man among the participants, before they learn the real stakes of the game. He asks why the man is here if he's sick with dementia and cancer, and doesn't he have a family that can take care of him? The old man explains that he has his reasons for being here, and asks if Gi-hun's family has a daughter-in-law that cares for her elderly grandparents.

* FallenOnHardTimesJob: Gi-hun works as a chauffeur, which doesn't pay that well. The game salesman later reveals that he once worked for a car company for over a decade, but was fired a decade before.
* GiftGivingGaffe: The "gun" Gi-hun uses to light his cigarette. His daughter isn't impressed.

* MoodWhiplash: Player 324 and 250 make a bet as VitriolicBestBuds; whoever crosses the finish line first gets a million won. It's at first humorous that 324 can't freeze as 250 says, "Dumbass got caught." Then they both hear a bang, and 324 collapses. 250 goes OhCrap, runs to 324 as soon as the doll gives the go-ahead, and checks on him. 324 is ''bleeding''.

* OnlyALighter: Gi-hun offers his young daughter a gun for her birthday, only to realize it's a lighter. He decides to hold onto it and when the salesman initially attempts to make a deal with him, Gi-hun points it at him, causing the salesman to raise both his hands. When Gi-hun pulls the trigger, the salesman is relieved to find that it was just a lighter.

The next day, Gi-hun finds out that his ex-wife is planning to move to America. Her new husband (Ga-yeong's stepdad) has gotten a job opportunity and he's going to move the family there. [[AdultFear This will mean Gi-hun won't be able to see her.]] Gi-hun's mother notes that if he has money, he'll be able to prove financial independence and be able to take custody of her. Gi-hun pulls out the card and calls the number. He's told to wait on a corner at night. He recites a passcode[[note]]"무궁화 꽃이 피었습니다", or "Red Light, Green Light" (literal translation: "The Rose of Sharon has bloomed.") [[/note]] he was told when a mysterious van pulls up. He's ushered in next to some other people. [[OhCrap And then knockout gas is pumped into the van and he falls unconscious.]]

* AdultFear: Gi-hun is in severe debt to a group of loan sharks, and if he fails to pay them within a month, they'll steal one of his kidneys. His ex is disgusted with him and is moving to the US, with his daughter possibly losing her connection to her father and beginning to refer to her mother's new husband as her father.

* OnlyALighter: Gi-hun offers his young daughter a gun for her birthday, only to realizes it's a lighter. He decides to hold onto it and when the salesman initially attempts to make a deal with him, Gi-hun points it at him, causing the salesman to raise both his hands. When Gi-hun pulls the trigger, the salesman is relieved to find that it was just a lighter.
* PetTheDog: In episode 1, Gi-hun has a literal 'save the cat' moment when he feeds fish to a hungry stray.

-->''[[SoundtrackDissonance ♫ Fly me to the moon\\

*** The masked guards also are introduced as not interfering in the fight between the pickpocket and Deok-su, foreshadowing how they will [[spoiler:ultimately stay neutral as Deok-su later kills a player and starts a deadly riot to weed out extra players and people he generally doesn't like]].

* SoundtrackDissonance: "Fly Me to the Moon", a jazz soundtrack, plays while the contestants are running for their lives in the [[TitleDrop Red Light Green Light]] game and getting slaughtered.

Seong Gi-hun is an impoverished divorcee who works as a chauffeur, struggles with a gambling addiction, and still lives with his elderly mother, who works to make ends meet for the both of them. On his daughter Ga-yeong's birthday, his mother gives him 20,000 won (roughly 17 USD) to spend for Ga-yeong's birthday. However, with other plans for the money, Gi-Hun whines that [[BlatantLies 20,000 won't even be enough for a fried chicken dinner]], so his mother reluctantly coughs up more, as she scurries off to work. Gi-hun also takes her hidden bank card with the intent of stealing funds for him and his buddy to bet on the horseraces. He wins big but is spotted by one of the [[LoanShark loan sharks he owes a debt to]]. He runs, but a pickpocket steals his winnings and he can't even pay them. Their leader makes him sign a contract signing away his physical rights, making him sign it with his blood.

That evening, after a mediocre birthday dinner for Ga-Yeong, Gi-Hun encounters a man at a train station who challenges him to ''ddakji'', a simple children's game, where the prize for winning is 100,000 won (about $85) and, since he lacked the equal amount, the penalty for losing is a good slap in the face. Gi-Hun loses [[ButtMonkey about ten times]] before finally managing to win, barely remembering to take the money instead of slapping back. The man makes him an offer - he can do this same sort of thing again for much bigger prizes. He gives Gi-Hun a card and bids him farewell as he leaves on the incoming train, [[PerpetualSmiler never breaking his mysterious smile]].

The next day, Gi-hun finds out that his ex-wife is planning to move to America. Her new husband (Ga-yeong's stepdad) has gotten a job opportunity and he's going to move the family there. [[AdultFear This will mean Gi-Hun won't be able to see her.]] Gi-hun's mother notes that if he has money, he'll be able to prove financial independence and be able to take custody of her. Gi-hun pulls out the card and calls the number. He's told to wait on a corner at night. He recites a passcode[[note]]"무궁화 꽃이 피었습니다", or "Red Light, Green Light" (literal translation: "The Rose of Sharon has bloomed.") [[/note]] he was told when a mysterious van pulls up. He's ushered in next to some other people. [[OhCrap And then knockout gas is pumped into the van and he falls unconscious.]]

Gi-Hun wakes up in a giant room full of bunkbeds, wearing a green tracksuit. The number "456" is on the breast. There are hundreds of other people in there too, each wearing a similar suit and number. A display reads that there are 456 participants in the game. A voice rings out and the people are ushered into lines and taken out. Masked men in pink jumpsuits and masks with symbols, ranging from circles to triangles to squares, explain that this is the game, and that they can win cash prizes in the rounds to follow. One man complains, asking why they were drugged and brought here. The leader singles him out, revealing that the man is heavily in debt. He then reveals that everyone here is heavily in debt, some owing millions of won, some a billion. All of them also signed away their physical rights before coming here. They're then given a second contract - players can leave if the majority vote to leave, but they make no money. Everyone signs, and proceeds to the next room. During this, Gi-Hun meets four people - an old man suffering a brain tumor; Deok-Su, a gangster; [[ChekhovsGunman the female pickpocket who stole his winnings]] at the horseraces, who is introduced whilst in the middle of a beatdown being delivered by Deok-Su, who she had betrayed some time ago; and to Gi-Hun's amazement, Sangwoo, his childhood best friend who was the golden boy of the home town and was thought to be incredibly financially stable. An announcement rings out: All players assemble for the first game, which is revealed in the next room - [[TitleDrop Red Light, Green Light, or in Korean, ''무궁화 꽃이 피었습니다'']]

Gi-Hun is approaching, as the other characters have already made it. However, as he's about to trip when the doll turns around, he's held up at the last second by another player: a foreigner who runs with him across the finish line [[JustInTime at the very last second]]. [[TimedMission Everyone who hasn't made it across the finish line is disqualified and shot to death.]] The realization occurs to Gi-hun and the others: this isn't any ordinary game. This is life or death.

* AnOfferYouCantRefuse: Invoked and exploited. Gi-Hun and every other debtor invited to the games are met with a salesman-like person who offers to play ''ddakji'' with them for 100,000 won. If they lose, they have to pay the same amount. Since virtually none of them have that much on them, they are allowed to waive the payment with a slap in the face, and can keep playing until they win. Once they win the money, the salesman then gives them a card with a phone number, and invites them to take part in a series of games for an even bigger cash prize. They are skeptic at first, but because they all face varied yet near-serious consequences if they can't pay their personal debts (in Gi-Hun's case, losing his eyes and kidneys to a LoanShark), they all call and accept.

** Gi-Hun complains to his mother that 20,000 won (around $17 in U.S) is not enough for even a fried chicken dinner.
** Ga-Yeong told Gi-Hun to not use the gun lighter for smoking. Gi-Hun acts shocked, and said he is now clean. She sees right past it, and smells Gi-Hun, giving him a look.

* BloodOath: Gi-Hun signs a contract with the LoanShark with his bloody fingerprint.

* CutHimselfShaving: When asked by his daughter about the bruise on his face, Gi-Hun explains that it's a mosquito bite.

* DoesThisRemindYouOfAnything: Gi-Hun has a gambling addiction, but it's visually played very much like a drug addiction. He acts twitchy, shifty, and irritable when he's trying to get his next "fix" (stealing money, more frantically betting on race after race or game after game following each loss), and becomes very euphoric during the "high" of a recent victory. Characters around him react accordingly, with his mother even urging him to clean up his act and get a real job, much like relatives of those with substance abuse issues asking them to get sober and find a steady income. The salesman, naturally, plays on his gambling addiction to get him interested in the games.
* EntitledBastard: Gi-Hun's EstablishingCharacterMoment involves him needling his mom to lend him more money, ostensibly to buy his daughter something nice for her birthday but really just to go gambling. After stealing his mom's debit card, he's outraged to learn that she changed the PIN so it's no longer his birthday.

** The introductory flashback to the children playing the squid game shows young Gi-Hun cheating by pulling a LookBehindYou on his opponent.
** Gi-Hun is introduced stealing his mother's credit card so he can gamble, but finding out the passcode isn't his birthday anymore, because his mother doesn't like him as much. He's also shown being nice to a stray cat by feeding it and speaking fondly to it, so he's still established as good-hearted.
** The pickpocket who steals from Gi-Hun, in later episodes, shows prowess in stealing objects from others.

* FailureMontage: Gi-Hun repeatedly losing in the ddakji game to the man on the subway and getting slapped in the face each time.
* FallenOnHardTimesJob: Gi-Hun works as a chauffeur, which doesn't pay that well. The game salesman later reveals that he once worked for a car company for over a decade, but was fired a decade before.
* GiftGivingGaffe: The "gun" Gi-Hun uses to light his cigarette. His daughter isn't impressed.
* HopeSpot: After some setbacks in horserace betting, Gi-Hun manages to win enough money to provide a step-up to a fried chicken dinner for his daughter. Unfortunately, he is pickpocketed while chased by the loan sharks, putting him right back where he started, if not further.

* JustInTime: Gi-Hun and Ali both cross the finishing line at the last second. The remaining players aren't so fortunate.

* MotiveMisidentification: When the Salesman first approaches Gi-Hun, Gi-Hun thinks the Salesman is a Christian Evangelist and states that he's not interested in Jesus' teachings.
* MyCard: The stranger on the subway hands Gi-Hun his business card which only shows a telephone number.
* OnceMoreWithClarity: After Gi-Hun finds out that his daughter is moving to USA with her mother and stepfather, we cut back to the scene where he promises to get her a better gift for her next birthday. Her reaction isn't just disappointment - it's sadness because she knows he won't be around for her next birthday.
* TheOneWhoMadeItOut: Gi-Hun initially believes Sang-woo was this, since he was the only one in their small town to go to a big fancy business school and supposedly make it big as an international traveling businessman. Gi-Hun later finds out Sang-woo ended up in the games for similar reasons as him--debts sky high with banks and loan sharks alike, despite his great education and seemingly high class job.
* OnlyALighter: Gi-hun offers his young daughter a gun for her birthday, only to realizes it's a lighter. He decides to hold onto it and when the salesman initially attempts to make a deal with him, Gi-Hun points it at him, causing the salesman to raise both his hands. When Gi-hun pulls the trigger, the salesman is relieved to find that it was just a lighter.
* PetTheDog: In episode 1, Gi-Hun has a literal 'save the cat' moment when he feeds fish to a hungry stray.
* PrisonRiot: Deok-su and Sae-byeok getting into a fight at the sleeping quarters.
* SchmuckBait: When the Game is introduced, the players (and by extension the audience) are led to believe that they will simply be playing a bunch of children's games, with being sent home being the outcome if they lose. It's not until the WhamShot happens, well after the Red Light Green Light game starts, that the true nature of the game is revealed.

* TrappedByGamblingDebts: Gi-Hun's troubles are about 50% this and 50% his chauffeur job that doesn't pay well at all.

* MotiveMisidentification: When the Salesman first approaches Gi-Hun, Gi-Hun thinks the Salesman is a Christian Evangelist and states that he’s not interested in Jesus’ teachings.

Seong Gi-Hun is a divorced, impoverished dad who works as a chauffeur, struggles with a gambling addiction, and still lives with his elderly mother, who works to makes ends meet for the both of them. On his daughter Ga-Yeong's birthday, his mother gives him 20,000 won (roughly 17 USD) to spend for Ga-Yeong's birthday. However, with other plans for the money, Gi-Hun whines that [[BlatantLies 20,000 won't even be enough for a fried chicken dinner]], so his mother reluctantly coughs up more, as she scurries off to work. Gi-Hun also takes her hidden bank card with the intent on stealing funds for him and his buddy to bet on the horseraces. He wins big but is spotted by one of the [[LoanShark loan sharks he owes a debt to]]. He runs, but a pickpocket steals his winnings and he can't even pay them. Their leader makes him sign a contract signing away his physical rights, and makes him sign it with his blood.

The next day, Gi-Hun finds out that his ex-wife is planning to move to America. Her new husband (Ga-Yeong's stepdad) has gotten a job opportunity and he's going to move the family there. [[AdultFear This will mean Gi-Hun won't be able to see her.]] Gi-Hun's mother notes that if he has money, he'll be able to prove financial independence and be able to take custody of her. Gi-Hun pulls out the card and calls the number. He's told to wait on a corner at night. He recites a passcode[[note]]"무궁화 꽃이 피었습니다", or "Red Light, Green Light" (literal translation: "The Rose of Sharon has bloomed.") [[/note]] he was told when a mysterious van pulls up. He's ushered in next to some other people. [[OhCrap And then knockout gas is pumped into the van and he falls unconscious.]]

A giant doll stands at the end of an enclosure. It explains the rules: It sings the titular jingle and then turns around. If it sees a player moving while it's facing them, they are disqualified. They have five minutes to cross the finish line at the end of the room. [[ThoseTwoGuys Two slacker players make a bet]] on who gets to the finish line first, winner getting a million dollars. The players start running. The doll turns around for the first time. One of the two players who made the bet is seen moving. [[WhamShot And a bullet strikes him.]] The other one cheekily comments on his loss, [[OhCrap until he sees the other man vomit up blood and lay motionless]]. Then he realizes the man is dead and begins to run back in a panic. Unfortunately, the doll sees him moving as well and he's soon riddled with bullets, his blood splattered on the face of a woman in front of him. She then screams and [[MassOhCrap everyone is set off in a panic as they realize what game they really are playing]].

Other bullets strike as other people move. A series of holes are seen around the walls of the enclosure, each containing a small turret. A woman's voice announces the rules once more: "If you are caught moving, you will be disqualified." With this in mind, the other players attempt to continue—the old man gleefully unaware and playing with gusto; Gi-Hun, the pickpocket, Deok-Su, Sangwoo and the other players gathering their wits and continuing forward.

Gi-Hun is approaching, as the other characters have already made it. However, as he's about to trip when the doll turns around, he's held up at the last second by another player: a foreigner who runs with him across the finish line [[JustInTime at the very last second]]. [[TimedMission Everyone who hasn't made it across the finish line is disqualified and shot to death.]] The realization occurs to Gi-Hun and the others: this isn't any ordinary game. This is life or death.

A giant doll stands at the end of an enclosure. It explains the rules: It sings the titular jingle and then turns around. If it sees a player moving while it's facing them, they are disqualified. They have five minutes to cross the finish line at the end of the room. [[ThoseTwoGuys Two slacker players make a bet]] on who gets to the finish line first, winner getting a million dollars. The players start running. The doll turns around for the first time. One of the two players who made the bet is seen moving. [[WhamShot And a bullet strikes him.]] The other one cheekily comments on his loss, [[OhCrap until he sees the other man vomit up blood and lay motionless]]. Then he realizes the man is dead and begins to run back in a panic. Unfortunately, the doll sees him moving as well and he's soon riddled with bullets, his blood splattered on the face of a woman in front of him. She then screams and everyone is set off in a panic as they realize what game they really are playing.

A deadly ballet ensues, as people try to play the game, but inevitably find themselves lacking. Bodies fall with every round. The turrets spit death perfectly. [[SoundtrackDissonance A masked man in black watches all the carnage unfold on a large screen in what looks like a control center and turns on a music player. "Fly Me to the Moon" plays as players are shot down mercilessly.]]