Summary
- Season 2 of Squid Game features the game “Mingle,” where players must form teams after rotating on a carousel.
- The viral “Mingle Song” from Squid Game is actually titled “Round and Round” by Korean writers Jeong Geun and Dr. Lee Soo-In.
- The “Mingle Song” has become a popular trend on social media, with influencers creating dances and memes.
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In Squid Game season 2, episode 5, “One More Game,” Gi-hun and his compatriots walk into a giant circus tent to begin their third game. In “Mingle,” players stand on a revolving carousel while children’s music plays. When the music stops and the carousel halts, players must separate into teams of a designated number and claim an unoccupied room. Players who cannot claim a room with the correct number of team members get eliminated from the Squid Game.
“Mingle” continues into season 2, episode 6, “O X,” showcasing a bloody massacre that takes out 155 players. However, viewers’ greatest takeaway is the children’s song that breaks up each blood bath. But what is the name of this viral song, and who wrote it? This jingle from “Mingle” is one of Korea’s most popular nursery rhymes.
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Squid Game’s ‘Mingle Song’ Has Gone Viral
While Squid Game 2’s popularity was a given, the ‘Mingle Song’ virality is more surprising. Platforms like TikTok and Instagram are flooding with content based on the song. Many fans enjoy Choi Su-bong’s reckless performance as Thanos, who dances with glee in the face of imminent death.
Influencers are taking notice and jumping onto the trend. Social media users can find reels of ‘Mingle Song’ dance trends, memes, and even Korean language tutorials to sing the tune. Netizens worldwide can’t get this earworm out of their head. Netflix has promptly noticed, posting a lyric video for the song on the @stillwatchingnetflix YouTube channel.
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“Round and Round” Is a Famous Korean Children’s Song
So, what is this viral Korean song everyone’s obsessed with? Its title is “Round and Round,” written by two of Korea’s most prominent children’s writers. While we could not find the date of the song’s composition, “Round and Round” has been around in Korea for quite some time.
“Round and Round” Was Written by Jeong Geun and Lee Soo-in
Let’s take a look at the writers behind “Round and Round,” Jeong Geun (lyrics) and Dr. Lee Soo-In (music). Jeong Geun was a TV writer that has written for several Korean children’s shows. Dr. Lee Soo-In was a lyric composer who championed classical music education for kids.
Jeong Geun was born and raised in Gwangju, a metropolitan area of South Korea. He studied at Daegu Normal University, now Kyungpook National University, a college known for its longstanding tradition of training educators. After graduation, he began his career as a lyricist and composer, forming the Gaerona Choir in Gwangju.
In his mid-thirties, Jeong Geun began his career at KBS (the Korean Broadcasting System), creating programs like Youngie’s Diary and Let’s Gather and Sing. He also contributed to KBS as a writer for the programs Who’s Better, TV Kindergarten One, Two, Three, and Ding, Dong, Dang.
Later in his career, Jeong Geun wrote children’s books, including the Korean picture book Mango Grandma. He also directed the Korea Music Copyright Association and advised the Korea Recreation Association.
Dr. Lee Soo-In grew up in the port city of Masan, South Korea (now part of Changwon). His interest in music began as a teenager when he sang hymns and played the piano in church. Later, he studied at Sorabol Arts College (now part of Jung-Ang University College of Arts) in Seoul under the tutelage of Kim Dong-jin, a renowned first-generation Korean lyric composer.
After graduation, Dr. Lee Soo-In began conducting the KBS Children’s Choir, a position he held for decades. He later founded the Bluebird Children’s Song Association (“Parang se Chang-jak Tongyohae”), a team of young composers who author Classical music for children. One of the association’s initiatives is distributing music books and recordings to elementary schools across Korea.
The Song Streams on the Same YouTube Channel as “Baby Shark”
“Round and Round “‘s legacy has endured long after its composition, becoming a staple of Korean educational programming. Furthermore, the tune shares a connection with the global sensation “Baby Shark.” Both songs have music videos on Pinkfong, one of the world’s largest children’s YouTube channels.
Eagle-eyed viewers may notice that Pinkfong’s “Round and Round” is referenced in Squid Game. During the chorus, Thanos and Nam-gyu (Jae-won Roh) dance in circles with their arms linked, mirroring the children’s movement in the Pinkfong video.
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