Thousands of fans gathered in Seoul yesterday to celebrate the final Squid Game season, ending a global Netflix hit that is seen as a symbol of South Korea’s cultural clout.

The third and final season was released Friday, concluding the series that sees desperate people compete in deadly versions of traditional children’s games for a massive cash prize.

Director Hwang Dong-hyuk said he had “poured everything” into the series, which launched nearly four years ago.“So while it’s sentimental to see it end,” he said, “there’s also a sense of relief”.

Fans gathered near Seoul’s Gyeongbokgung Palace, led by marchers dressed in the bright pink uniforms worn by the show’s mysterious masked agents

They were followed by others carrying oversize toys from one of the games featured in the series, along with the show’s flag.Park Sang-gyu, a fan who stayed up all night watching the final season, said the dystopian drama was “ultimately a story about people”.

“As you watch, you realise it’s not just about the games — it reflects many aspects of real life.”

The walls of the Seoul Metropolitan Library were lit up with key scenes, including Young-hee — the giant motion-sensing animatronic doll featured in one of its brutal games.The final season follows its hero Gi-hun, played by Lee, as he returns to the ultra-violent games to dismantle them from within after surviving the first round.

Along with filmmaker Bong Joon-ho’s Oscar-winning 2019 thriller Parasite and K-pop sensation BTS, Squid Game is considered one of the most powerful examples of South Korea’s rise as a global cultural force.