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Still from the Netflix original series “Squid Game” (provided by Netflix)

The Korean drama series “Squid Game” is taking India by storm.

According to the global streaming content ranking site FlixPatrol, “Squid Game” ranked No. 1 in India in the category of Netflix TV shows as of Friday.

Its enormous popularity is seen as exceptional for a foreign series in India, a country that tends to be very supportive of its own local content. Previously, the top spot had been held down by the Indian comedy/drama “Kota Factory,” which is about the intense competition among students seeking to enter elite universities.

With this latest coup, “Squid Game” has now reached the top spot in every country where Netflix is available. It’s also the first original series to top the rankings in all countries where Netflix operates.

“Squid Game” is currently in first place in 81 countries, not including Denmark and Turkey. It had also reached the top in those two countries but has since slipped a place to No. 2.

The series is also blowing up on social media. According to FlixPatrol, “Squid Game” ranked first for Twitter mentions and YouTube trailer views and second for Instagram mentions as of Sunday. Numerous videos and comments on YouTube and other social media sites have shown users imitating the games from the series, including making dalgona honeycomb cookies and playing “red light, green light.”

Still from the Netflix original series “Squid Game” (provided by Netflix)

Cast members from “Squid Game” are also scheduled to appear Wednesday on “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon,” a late-night talk show on NBC. The exact list of stars has yet to be released.

“Squid Game,” which debuted on Sept. 17, is a nine-episode series depicting a group of people playing life-or-death games to win a prize of 45.6 billion won (US$38.6 billion).

Right out of the gate, it proved a massive global hit, topping the streaming rankings not just in South Korea but in other major markets like the US and the UK. Its popularity has been the subject of analyses by major news outlets like the BBC and CNN, and various tie-in items have been produced.

Netflix share prices have also been reaching record highs amid the “Squid Game” frenzy.

Despite the overseas success, the series has come under fire in South Korea for issues such as the sharing of individuals’ mobile phone numbers and the distribution of profits between Netflix and the show’s makers.

SK Broadband, which has been at odds with Netflix over network usage fee payments, filed suit late last month to demand the return of improper profits, contending that the platform earned money through use of the company’s domestic and overseas data transmission networks without any kind of payment in return.

By Park Mee-hyang, staff reporter

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