Let’s give back ‘Squid Game’ to kids who lost physical activities

It’s hard to see children playing around in a playground these days. It has been a long time since concerns about the collapse of school physical education classes were raised. According to the World Health Organization’s 2016 survey on the physical activities of adolescents aged 11 to 17 in 146 countries, South Korea was one of the least active countries. But there’s no news about any improvement.

Channel A is set to air a groundbreaking three-part documentary series, ‘Squid Game is Missing,' every Saturday at 11 a.m. The series not only diagnoses the current crisis of physical activities being sidelined in children’s lives but also presents innovative solutions to this pressing issue.

The first part examines the reality of adolescents with insufficient physical activities and how schools, local communities, and public organizations are trying to address the issue. It will feature various efforts to encourage students’ interest in physical education, including the case of Haklin Elementary School in Chilgok County, North Gyeongsang Province, where the school cooperated with the Korea Archery Association to set up archery classes. The second part, to be broadcast next Saturday, will introduce new sports that anybody can enjoy regardless of gender or physical condition. It will highlight the importance of easy physical activities by sharing an example of ‘hanball,’ which replaces a heavy, hard, and potentially injury-causing handball with a soft ball made of sponge. In the last episode on June 22, various sports education policies will be showcased, including the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism’s grant to support vulnerable groups, such as those with disabilities, regarding physical activities.

Actor Park Jae-min did emcee and narration. With a bachelor's degree from the Department of Physical Education at Seoul National University, a Master’s degree from Georgetown University, and a PhD degree from Seoul National University, he is a well-known sports expert in the entertainment industry. “The all-or-nothing thinking of treating sports activities as an interruption to studying is prevalent. However, physical activities and studying are in a complementary relationship, not a contradicting one,” he said. “I decided to participate in the documentary as I thought it was a time for social re-discussions on health and sports. How a high school student, Choi Joo-eun, proposes setting up a basketball club at her school with her physical education teacher supporting her in the first episode will resonate with viewers.”

“The aim of this documentary is to rekindle the old play culture, where children reveled in the joy of running and playing in the playground without the need for fancy toys,” expressed Channel A’s Producer Jeon Gyeong-nam. "We hope that this will serve as a catalyst for a resurgence in physical activities among children."


이지윤 기자 leemail@donga.com