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On 10/1/2021 at 7:49 PM, mademoiselle said:

The second Twitter post re: translations clarification mentioned the closed captions followed the dubbed English audio version. This is why it is different to the subbed version's English subtitles.

 

That still shouldn't change the subtitles whether you're watching with cc or just with the subtitles. With dubbed versions, they tend to use subtitles to match the dubbing.

 

On 10/1/2021 at 7:49 PM, mademoiselle said:

I do have to ask, what does "Gang-bu" mean? I watch in Chinese subtitles and it just literally translate it to a Chinese Character (or Hanja?) with the same pronunciation of "Gang-bu" and didn't elaborate.

 

I've never heard the term before either, however, the drama defines gganbu as a pact between neighborhood friends who share everything, especially their marbles and slappers to compete against others, without differentiating what belongs to whom.

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‘Squid Game’: Netflix Installed Replica of the Show’s Murdering Robot Doll at a Shopping Mall

By Todd Spangler | Oct 1, 2021 8:33am PT

 

Squid Game - Netflix - Robot

Courtesy of Netflix

 

What better way to promote a new TV show than to scare the living daylights out of unsuspecting passersby?

 

In a marketing stunt for Korean thriller “Squid Game,” which has become a viral smash hit worldwide, Netflix installed a replica of the giant animatronic doll that appears in episode 1 at the Robinsons Galleria mall in Quezon City, Philippines.

 

In the show, hundreds of debt-saddled contestants are mysteriously brought together to compete in children’s games for a huge cash prize — but with literally life-and-death consequences. The first game is “red light, green light,” overseen by the robotic doll, who explains that any contestants whose movement is detected after the light turns red will be “eliminated.” As it’s quickly revealed, that means they will be immediately shot and killed.

 

The replica doll at the Manila-area mall monitors a crosswalk to catch jaywalkers, chanting the eerie “Red Light, Green Light, 1-2-3” song from the show.

 

If a pedestrian tries to cross against the “don’t walk” red light, she swivels her head around and flashes LED-red eyes to single out the culprit. Yikes.

 

Here’s a video tweet from Netflix Philippines showing the creepy 10-foot doll in action:

Spoiler

 

 

 

 

Since its Sept. 17 premiere, the violent K-drama has taken the world by storm. “Squid Game” has consistently ranked as the No. 1 series titles in countries across the globe, according to Netflix. This week Netflix co-CEO and content chief Ted Sarandos said the show has a very good chance of becoming the streamer’s biggest show ever (and will definitely rank as its most popular non-English original series).

 

“We did not see that coming, in terms of its global popularity,” Sarandos said Monday at Vox Media’s Code Conference. To date, the most-viewed Netflix original TV show in its first 28 days of release is “Bridgerton.”

 

The mania for the show appears especially acute in South Korea, where broadband provider SK Broadband on Friday sued Netflix — seeking to recoup higher network costs — over a 24-fold increase in traffic from May 2018 to September 2021, citing in part the success of “Squid Game,” Reuters reported.

 

Meanwhile, the actual doll created for “Squid Game” was spotted on display — with a missing hand — at the Jincheon Carriage Museum Adventure Village in South Korea’s North Chungcheong Province. But the museum has reportedly since put the doll in storage.

 

Series creator and director Hwang Dong-hyuk told Variety he first conceived the idea for “Squid Game” in 2008 as a film. But Korean studios passed because of its ultraviolent themes, and he went on to create several hit films before being able to revisit the project about 10 years later.

 

“When I started [writing ‘Squid Game’], I was in financial straits myself and spent much time in cafes reading comics including ‘Battle Royale’ and ‘Liar Game,'” Hwang said. “I came to wonder how I’d feel if I took part in the games myself. But I found the games too complex, and for my own work focused instead on using kids’ games.”

Source

 

Edited by Chocolate
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24 minutes ago, stroppyse said:

 

That still shouldn't change the subtitles whether you're watching with cc or just with the subtitles. With dubbed versions, they tend to use subtitles to match the dubbing.

 

I've never heard the term before either, however, the drama defines gganbu as a pact between neighborhood friends who share everything, especially their marbles and slappers to compete against others, without differentiating what belongs to whom.

I see, thanks for explaining about gganbu. 

 

I agree it shouldn't. However in this instance, the Squid Game's CC uses the English dubbed and this differs to the English subs, which thus causes the inconsistencies in translations between the Eng CC and Eng subtitles.

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“Squid Game” Actor Park Hae Soo Talks About The Drama’s Popularity, His Relationship With Lee Jung Jae, And More

Oct 3, 2021 by S. P

 

“Squid Game” star Park Hae Soo shared his thoughts on the hit drama!

 

“Squid Game” is a Netflix drama about a mysterious survival game with a reward of 45.6 billion won (approximately $40 million) on the line. 456 money-hungry participants wind up joining the game—only to learn that there is more at stake than just the prize money. Park Hae Soo plays Jo Sang Woo, the head of an investment team who is wanted by the police for stealing money from his clients.

 

Following its worldwide release in September, “Squid Game” became the first Korean series to top both the domestic and global Netflix TV show rankings, as well as the first Korean drama to rank No. 1 on Netflix’s Today’s Top 10 in the United States. Additionally, the series has maintained a top 3 ranking in 83 countries around the world.

 

Park Hae Soo reacted happily to the explosive popularity of the series, commenting, “Thanks to the drama’s popularity, I received congratulatory messages from all around the world for the birth of my child.”

 

Park Hae Soo mentioned that he had anticipated, to some extent, the worldwide popularity of “Squid Game.” He said, “Although they’re Korean games, there’s plenty of things for people to relate to. I figured that people would think a lot about these things while watching the drama. I also thought that it would do well since it was centered around a sort of extreme game. However, I didn’t think it would become quite this big. I’m starting to realize the extent of its popularity after getting lots of messages from people living overseas.”

 

Spoiler

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Park Hae Soo shared that it was the synopsis that drew him into the series, specifically mentioning the psychological changes that the characters underwent. As for his own character of Jo Sang Woo, he revealed, “While working on the drama, I never felt any differences between Jo Sang Woo and myself. The choices grew easier as it felt like I wasn’t acting, so it felt strange. Now that filming is over, I think I’m most similar to Sung Gi Hoon (Lee Jung Jae).”

 

The actor gave special thanks to Lee Jung Jae for helping him through the acting process. “As we were all living as our characters, it got difficult and we leaned on each other for support. As a central role, Lee Jung Jae approached us in a comfortable way,” he shared. “He’s sort of an ideal for us as actors, so it was an honor to work alongside him. I went to Lee Jung Jae’s house, where we drank wine and conversed a lot. He gave me plenty of advice about acting and where to go from here. I was very glad to work with him.”

Spoilers

Although viewers are anticipating a second season of “Squid Game,” the first season unfortunately ends with Jo Sang Woo’s death. Park Hae Soo agreed with the outcome, saying, “He was a character who had to die, which is a shame.” He added his hopes to appear in the series again as he said, “Who knows, the director could make a prequel. I hope I could at least appear in Sung Gi Hoon’s dream.”

 

Park-Hae-Soo-2.jpg

 

Park Hae Soo had nothing but high praise for director Hwang Dong Hyuk, mentioning that he was a big fan of his previous works such as “The Fortress,” “Silenced,” and “Miss Granny.” “He’s a director who takes on all sorts of challenges. He has a good sense of humor and wit,” he praised. “I want to keep improving and meet him again. He told Jo Sang Woo’s story by immersing himself completely in the character, and he explained the character’s rationale from the character’s perspective. I’m thankful for how he thought about Jo Sang Woo’s lines and edited them up until the day before.”

 

Park Hae Soo wrapped up the interview by expressing his gratitude for the viewers. “Although I’ve always been filming, it’s been a long time since I’ve come before my audience. I was really grateful for everyone’s reaction to ‘Squid Game.’ I’m glad since it feels like everyone is telling me I’m doing well and that I’m not wrong. I learned a lot while filming, but I’m also learning new things as my projects receive love from the viewers. I’m a student at 41 years of age.”

Source

 

Edited by Chocolate
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Okay, finally finished all of the episodes. It was a bit of a twist ending that SW finally got a conscience and stabbed himself in the end because he really wanted someone to get the money after all that they had been through. I was actually expecting SW to try to stab Gi Hun instead since GH was ready to call off the game without anyone getting any money. It was a bit chilling that SW killed Sae Byeok because if GH convinced her to go along, the two of them would be the majority that could call the game off. Then again, perhaps SW killed himself so that GH would get the money since SW wasn't confident that he himself could kill GH as injured as he was. Plus, both SW and SB knew that GH would do the right thing and take care of their families even if they are gone.

 

Btw, I find that giant animatronic doll really disturbing. I think I was more creeped out by the version that was installed in the shopping mall in the Philippines. Poor guy who got caught in her laser eyes! I totally understood his panic, though he shouldn't have been jaywalking anyway.

 

There are definitely enough open endings to various plot lines that it could support a 2nd season, especially with GH who seems determined to try to bring it all down since people are not animals to be bet on.

 

I was even more gutted when Joon Ho is shot and falls over the cliff since I really liked Wi Ha Joon in Romance is a Bonus Book. I was expecting JH to be shot and killed since I've been reading spoilers, but the standoff between brothers was still really tense and good.  The disbelief of the younger brother and the sadness afterward of the older brother. Did he really have to shoot him? Though, I'm not convinced that Joon Ho is dead at all.

 

Anyway, thanks @Chocolate! You are a big part of why I stuck to this drama until the end, and while the violence curdled my stomach, it was ultimately a very engaging watch that I couldn't not finish. So, thanks!

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43 minutes ago, stroppyse said:

Then again, perhaps SW killed himself so that GH would get the money since SW wasn't confident that he himself could kill GH as injured as he was. Plus, both SW and SB knew that GH would do the right thing and take care of their families even if they are gone.

 

I think this is more likely. Throughout the show, SW has been shown to be able to discard personal feelings/ethics in order to win. This is supported by the way he killed SB too. Although by killing himself, I feel he has redeemed himself a little. He is also pragmatic and there is no sense in Gi Hun (and his mother) not getting the money since they have come so far.

 

43 minutes ago, stroppyse said:

Btw, I find that giant animatronic doll really disturbing. I think I was more creeped out by the version that was installed in the shopping mall in the Philippines. Poor guy who got caught in her laser eyes! I totally understood his panic, though he shouldn't have been jaywalking anyway.

 

Haha, yes, the version at the shopping mall is more eerie looking than the original one. At least the one in the drama was "cute". I wonder why Netflix did the promotion in Philippines - do they have the most people watching k-dramas/fans in Asia?

 

43 minutes ago, stroppyse said:

Anyway, thanks @Chocolate! You are a big part of why I stuck to this drama until the end, and while the violence curdled my stomach, it was ultimately a very engaging watch that I couldn't not finish. So, thanks!

 

Awww thanks @stroppyse. Glad you finished. There were weak points in the plot, but generally it was an enjoyable watch. I might even re-watch the game sequences again.

 

Edited by Chocolate
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Squid Game still from red light green light game

 

“Squid Game” Is a Social Allegory Informed by Korean History

 

There’s more to the game than gambling and violence.

BY JAE-HA KIM OCTOBER 4, 2021

 

This year’s it series, Squid Game, is an intensely violent Korean drama with a plot that has been likened to the dystopian setting of The Hunger Games. But the gory survival series — which pits debt-ridden underdogs against one another — can also be viewed as a microcosm of South Korea and its complicated history. (Spoilers for Squid Game ahead.)

 

Squid Game writer and director Hwang Dong-hyuk has said his series is an allegory for modern capitalist society. And his cast of misfits are people who don’t fit into the high-tech narrative of what South Korea has become since its poverty-stricken decades during and after the Korean War. They are two-bit gangsters and drunken thieves. But they also are migrant workers trying to support their families, rape victims looking to survive, North Korean defectors escaping poverty, and everyday citizens trying to pay off insurmountable debts.

 

In short, there’s more to the game than gambling and violence. Here are five examples of how Squid Game reflects some of South Korea’s reality — and you might notice some familiar themes related to power structures all over the world.

The Financier

Squid Game is almost pornographic in how recklessly human lives are treated. But if you look past the blood and gore, you will see the hierarchy at play. At the top of the heap is a rich and powerful man who made his fortune “by lending money," and who started this sick game of death because … he was bored. Even as he is dying, he refuses to take responsibility for any of the human lives lost during the sadistic games. “I never forced you to play,” he says. “It was your choice.” 

Elder Poverty

Though Hwang started work on Squid Game in 2008, it premiered during a pandemic when South Korea topped 33 countries for elderly poverty, according to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. Even after South Korean president Moon Jae-in’s administration created jobs for senior citizens, the Korea Herald noted, their poverty rate was over 47 percent, according to Statistics Korea’s data from 2019. And at 46 percent, South Korea's net pension replacement rate falls below the OECD's average of 65 percent. Many of the senior citizens who had helped develop South Korea from a poverty-stricken nation into an economic powerhouse are unable to support themselves in retirement. Meanwhile, some Koreans in their 50s are ousted from their jobs and replaced by younger employees. Childhood friends Gi-hun (played by Lee Jung-jae) and Sang-woo (Park Hae-seo) both have mothers well past retirement age, who have to work nonstop to survive.

1997's Asian Financial Crisis

This all plays into Gi-hun’s backstory. Until about a decade ago, Gi-hun worked for a factory that fired thousands of workers after the company experienced financial troubles. Like many unemployed Koreans, Gi-hun tried opening his own business (a restaurant) that failed, followed by another that had the same fate. The Asian financial crisis had repercussions that lasted for decades. And for uneducated men like Gi-hun, who didn’t have family money to rely on, his only option was a series of bank loans, followed by lendings from loan sharks – who made him sign over his organs (to sell on the black market) as collateral. Gi-hun has no idea where the prize money is coming from, nor does he care.

Imperialism

South Korea’s history with U.S. imperialism is alluded to in episode 7, when the rich, entitled, and English-speaking VIPs arrive on the island to wager bets on who will live or die. The games had been set up for their enjoyment at the expense of Korean (and a handful of other Asian) lives. While the dwindling players are fed barely enough food to survive, the VIPs enjoy a lavish spread tended to by naked, body-painted men and women. One of the VIPs orders a server – a policeman who has infiltrated the compound – to satisfy him sexually. His colonial mindset dictates his ownership over this Korean man’s body.

The Korean War

The most overt example of the Korean War’s impact is the storyline of Sae-byeok (Hoyeon Jung), a defector whose mother is still trapped in North Korea; meanwhile, her baby brother is stuck in a children’s welfare center in South Korea, waiting to be reunited with his family. But there’s also a climactic scene near the end of Squid Game, where two brothers face off. Both have guns. You can see dread, fear and conflict in their eyes. There is no optimism, because survival for one means death for the other. That scene encapsulated the turmoil some Korean soldiers went through when their country was split into two, making enemies out of friends and relatives, and forcing them to decide whether to kill or be killed by loved ones.

 

Squid Game is not this year’s Parasite, so much as it is a satire in the vein of A Modest Proposal. Just as Jonathan Swift pointed out the abject brutality of telling the poor to satiate their hunger by eating healthy, plump babies, Hwang depicts the cruelty of lording a huge sum of money – literally – over desperate people’s heads, knowing that most will die as they lived: penniless.

Source

 

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In PARIS!

 

esquire.korea
Netflix's popular drama "Squid Game" has become a craze around the world, and there is even a pop-up experience center in Paris. On the 3rd, the experience center hosted by Netflix attracted countless people. In particular, you can experience the second game in the squid game, Dalgona Sugar Draw. As if reflecting the popularity of "Squid Game", many people are posting reviews of certification.

 

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Spoiler

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The Ending of 'Squid Game,' Explained

How the show set up a possible second season.

By Quinci LeGardye | Sep 30, 2021

 

squidgame-unit-103-1195-1632510930.jpg?c

 

The new Netflix hit Squid Game sets up a compelling mystery. The Korean drama follows a deadly Game, where players compete through several rounds of children's games for the chance to win a 45.6 billion won prize (roughly $38 million). Eliminated players are summarily executed, in a brutal show that takes place in complete secret in present-day Korea. As we watch the players, including gambler Ki-hun, disgraced banker Sang-woo, and North Korean refugee Sae-byeok, we also gradually see the machinations behind the Game, which turns bloody violence into entertainment.

 

By the end of the series, we get both a winner and an explanation for the Game, with a bunch of global societal context mixed into a huge twist. If you've zoomed through the show and feel like you may have missed something, here's an explanation on what went down in the Season 1 finale of Squid Game.

 

Gi-hun wins the Game, but refuses to spend the money.

Spoiler

The finale opens with Gi-hun and Sang-woo doing a coin toss for the last game, which is the same Squid Game from the season opener. Gi-hun is out for blood, after Sang-woo killed Sae-byeok at the end of the penultimate episode (RIP, queen). The Front Man explains to the VIPs that Squid Game was the most physical and violent game among Korean kids, and it lives up to the description, with the former childhood friends fighting to the death with the steak knives in the pouring rain.

 

Eventually, Gi-hun gets the upper hand, and has Sang-woo pinned to the ground, knife in hand. But, as mad as he is, he doesn't kill his former friend. Instead he heads over to the finish line, with an attendant ready to shoot Sang-woo once he wins. Gi-hun realizes that, and opts to stop the game and give up the money instead of letting Sang-woo die. However, in his last moment, Sang-woo stabs himself, letting Gi-hun collect the prize money, and asks Gi-hun to help his mother.

 

Gi-hun, completely devastated, gets dropped off in Seoul with a debit card filled with his winnings. On the ride back, he has a talk with the Front Man, where the game master tells him to forget the game and explains, "You bet on horses. It's the same here but we bet on humans. You're our horses." Gi-hun makes his way back to his home, running into Sang-woo's worried mother along the way, and discovers that his mother has died at their home.

 

Fast forward to a year later, and an unkempt, bearded Gi-hun is riding the subway. At a meeting with a banking executive, we learn that he's barely spent any of the prize money, which has been sitting on that debit card. We don't get much of an explanation why, but we do see him ask the bank exec for 10,000 won (about $8), which spends on a beer and flowers from a street vendor. It seems to be a decision made out of grief, and the trauma he hasn't processed from the game yet.

 

Oh Il-nam (Player 001) was a Game VIP all along.

Spoiler

In creepy Squid Game fashion, the flower Gi-hun bought from the woman has a business card for the Game, with an invitation to a random hi-rise that night. When he gets there, he discovers Player 001, real name Oh Il-nam, who we thought had died after losing the marble game. Instead he's alive and lucid, though he's lying in a hospital bed hooked up to an oxygen machine.

 

It turns out that Il-nam is mega-rich, though the explanation he gives is that he "makes a living lending out money." Everything he said in the Game was true, including his name and the brain tumor, but he entered the Game after watching as a VIP for years. He was even there when the Game was created, out of rich-people boredom. He says he joined because he wanted to feel true excitement before he died, beyond just spectating.

 

Even on his deathbed, Il-nam summoned Gi-hun to play another game. He points out the hi-rise window to a man on the street, whose passed out drunk in the snow. He opines on whether anyone would help the man, revealing his true nature by calling him a "disgusting, stinking drunk, little piece of trash." Meanwhile, Gi-hun is obviously furious, asking Il-nam why he got to live and no one else. Il-nam doesn't care, and he offers a bet on whether anyone will help the man before midnight, showing that he's far gone and completely lacking empathy.

 

Gi-hun offers to bet anything on the drunk man's life, as he doesn't care about himself anymore. He watches raptly to see if anyone will help, all throughout Il-nam's confession. Il-nam asks if Gi-hun can trust anyone to be good after going through the game (which, valid question), but Gi-hun still wants to believe in humanity. In the very last second, some cops help the man. Gi-hun sees, but Il-nam doesn't. He dies with nothing to counteract his bleak beliefs (though, it's doubtful that one act of kindness would change anything).

 

The Il-nam reveal has Twitter in their feelings.

Spoiler

While fans have been obsessing over many moments in the show (the Red Light, Green Light doll, the marble game, Gi-hun's end makeover), the end reveal has gotten some nuanced reactions on Twitter, as viewers who cried over Il-nam learned that he was not just a VIP, but one of the game's founders.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Gi-hun may go back in the game.

Spoiler

Something about the night with Il-nam, either getting an explanation for the Game or regaining his faith in humanity, sparks a change in Gi-hun. He cuts his beard, gets a k-pop idol-inspired haircut, and goes to visit Sae-byeok's brother in the orphanage. He brings the child to Sang-woo's mom, who will take care of him while Gi-hun goes to visit his daughter in America, and also gives her half of his winnings. With that, he's able to keep his promise to Sae-byeok and Sang-woo.

On the way to the airport, while on the phone with his daughter, he spots The Salesman (hi, Gong Yoo!) recruiting a new player. He takes the Game card, and right before boarding the plane (like, literally on the jet bridge), he calls and tells them that the Game must end. The voice on the line tells him to just get on the plane. He walks away.

 

It looks like Gi-hun is going to take matters into his own hands, trying to end the secret, multinational game. We have no idea how that's going to go, since the police didn't believe him at first and Hwang Jun-ho, the only officer who knew the truth, died (or did he? We didn't see a body.). Either way, the open ending clears the way for a possible second season, turning the story into a quest to end the Game once and for all.

Source

 

Edited by Chocolate
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11 hours ago, Chocolate said:

It's so funny to read her journey and the comments to her posts

 

I totally understood her reaction though. I was gutted when SW showed himself so ruthless as to be able to betray the person who so believed in him. Though, I'm sure it's the desperation that SW has, knowing that only one of them can survive, and his will to survive and get the money.

 

11 hours ago, Chocolate said:

“Squid Game” Is a Social Allegory Informed by Korean History

 

There’s more to the game than gambling and violence.

BY JAE-HA KIM OCTOBER 4, 2021

 

Seriously well written piece, and I agree with the analysis. There is a lot of social commentary in this drama. I might even go further with some of the commentary than this writer did in terms of human nature, atrocity, and the desperation of poverty as well as the carelessness and thoughtless cruelty of the rich.

 

I also think that Squid Game caught the imagination in these times in a way that it might not have in a different time.

 

12 hours ago, Chocolate said:

Haha, yes, the version at the shopping mall is more eerie looking than the original one. At least the one in the drama was "cute". I wonder why Netflix did the promotion in Philippines - do they have the most people watching k-dramas/fans in Asia?

 

I thought the one on the show was really creepy as well. I guess it's cuter than the one at the shopping mall, but not really. Part of the creepiness is in that they are dolls with sensors.

 

As for the doll dancing...:Yikes: is right.

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[OSEN=Reporter Sujeong Ha] The main cast of Netflix's 'Squid Game', Lee Jung-jae, Park Hae-soo, Jeong Ho-yeon, Wi Ha-jun, etc. successfully finished filming the NBC's signature talk show 'Jimmy Fallon Show (The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon)'.

As a result of OSEN's coverage on the 6th, the main actors of 'Squid Game' were recording the US NBC's famous talk show 'The Jimmy Fallon Show' in some place in Seoul around 5-6 am on the same day. It is rumored that the four main characters and Jimmy Fallon met through a video connection between Seoul and the United States as it was the Corona crisis, and they talked about the best hit 'Squid Game'.

The 'Jimmy Fallon Show' is known to put a lot of effort into selecting guests, but this is the first time a Korean actor has appeared. This is the part where you can guess the craze and status of the 'squid game' around the world. 

 

The appearances of Lee Jung-jae, Park Hae-soo, Jeong Ho-yeon, and Wi Ha-jun, who meet overseas viewers for the first time through the 'Jimmy Fallon Show', will be broadcast on the 7th at 12:30 pm Korean time.

Source

 

 

Edited by Chocolate
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