“Squid Game 2” music director says he didn’t foresee “Round and Round” becoming a global hit

KOREA: As reported by Allkpop, the Korean children’s song “Round and Round” (Donggeulge Donggeulge), prominently featured in Squid Game Season 2, has gone viral after being remixed into an EDM track and played at an international nightclub.

A TikTok video recently captured a lively crowd dancing to the remixed version of the song in a club. The DJ, identified as French, creatively turned the cheerful tune into a high-energy club anthem, igniting widespread attention online.

“Amazing and humbling”

Jung Jae Il, the music director for Squid Game Season 2, expressed surprise and gratitude for the song’s unexpected global impact in an interview with The Chosun Ilbo on Jan 16. “It’s truly amazing and humbling.”

Jung revealed that director Hwang Dong Hyuk had chosen “Round and Round” early in production to accompany the game scenes. He explained, “The song’s bright and innocent melody was deliberately juxtaposed with the betrayal and tension in those moments.”

To enhance its impact, Jung incorporated mechanical sounds into the arrangement. “We wanted to go beyond merely using a familiar tune. The aim was to heighten immersion and experiment with innovation,” he said.

“Warmth amid tragedy”

Season 2 introduces fresh music while reinterpreting iconic tracks from Season 1. Jung shared, “We aimed to convey warmth amid tragedy. For instance, Shin Hae Chul’s ‘To You’ and Puccini’s ‘Nessun Dorma’ were chosen by Director Hwang during script development.”

Since its release on December 26, Squid Game Season 2 has achieved global acclaim. From January 6 to 12, it logged 26.3 million viewing hours, securing the top spot on Netflix’s Global Top 10 series rankings across both English and non-English categories. It also ranked in the Top 10 in 93 countries for five consecutive days, solidifying its worldwide success.

Squid Game is a South Korean dystopian survival thriller television series that revolves around a secret contest where hundreds of cash-strapped contestants risk their lives to play a series of deadly children’s games for the chance to win a ₩45.6 billion (US$39.86 million) prize.