What do Squid Game’s gift-wrapped coffins signify? Creators spill the beans

One thing that has irked Squid Game fans from the very start is the pink ribbon gift-wrapped coffin. Some of the questions that fans are asking are: If it is a coffin, why is it being incinerated? Why is it wrapped neatly with a ribbon? And why is it wrapped in a cross shape?

The show’s art director Chae Kyung Sun and director Hwang Dong Hyuk revealed the hidden meaning behind it in their recent interview with Netflix Korea. According to Chae Kyung Sun, the visual of a black coffin wrapped with a pink ribbon gives the one who created the game the feeling of being a God. As for the colors, Hwang Dong Hyuk had a pretty fun reason to choose them.

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Squid Game’s gift-wrapped coffins importance revealed by the show’s creators

Actors Lee Jung Jae, Park Hae Soo, director Hwang Dong Hyuk and art director Chae Kyung Sun featured in the international hit show’s commentary released on Netflix Korea on September 29.

As the creators and cast spilled some behind-the-scenes beans, one of them is about the mysterious gift-wrapped coffins. The interviewer asked the team the meaning behind it and Chae Kyung Sun opened up about it passionately.

The colorful staircase lobby of Squid Game (Image via Instagram/@theswoonnetflix)

Some thought the styling was in relation to the general child-like atmosphere created around the sets, much like the colorful pastel staircase, distracting players from their imminent doom. But the reason is far from it.

Chae Kyung Sun revealed she thought of the design as the maker of the games, saying,

“I think I focused on the mind of the person who came up with the game. I imagined he’d think he gave the contestants a chance as if he’s a god.“

And as the makers love being God and having fun with deep-in-debt individuals, their farewell would also be a grand gesture. The art director let her imagination run and wondered if this is what the game maker would think bidding them goodbye:

“This is my gift to you. Even your bodies being disposed in the incinerator is a show of my mercy.”

She connected the ‘gift’ to the gift-wrapping aspect and wondered what would happen if she put a ribbon on it. And thus the famous and mysterious Squid Game coffin was born.

The details don’t end at just this, though. Director Hwang Dong Hyuk also revealed he's a BLACKPINK fan too. He added to the art director’s comment saying,

“The main colors of the managers are black and pink. So I matched those tones, like BLACKPINK.”

Fans can find the entire Squid Game commentary video with english subtitles below:

One mysterious Squid Game detail out of the way. Many more to go.

Squid Game is available for streaming exclusively on Netflix.