Netflix has been forced to remove several scenes from its new hit series, Squid Game.
The South Korean thriller reached number one on the streaming platform's charts in 90 countries, per Forbes, and it is set to become the most-watched show in Netflix history.
Created by Hwang Dong-hyuk, the show follows 456 desperate people who agree to take part in a series of children's games in an attempt to win millions of dollars. However, unlike the games you used to play in the schoolyard, anybody who loses the games also loses their life.
The show has become a viral sensation, and as somebody who binge-watched the entire series from start to finish, I can assure you that it is definitely worth your time to go and check it out.
However, for anyone who is planning a rewatch of the thrilling series, you may notice a couple of scenes have been removed from certain episodes by Netflix.
As reported by The Independent, the streaming giant and Siren Pictures Inc have removed scenes after accidentally sharing the real phone number belonging to a Korean citizen.
For example, one of these instances occurs in the show when Lee Jung-Jae’s character, Seong Gi-hun, is handed a business card by a mysterious man in a suit following a heated game of ddakji. The number on the card is Gi-hun's invitation to the games, but curious viewers of the show have been calling the number to see what happens.
Of course, it is not uncommon for Netflix to place Easter eggs like this into its shows. When The Haunting of Bly Manor was released, the number shown in the advertisement for a new nanny was a number viewers could call to listen to a haunting recording of the Wingrave children.
Check out that perfectly splendid easter egg below:However, News.com.au reports that the number featured on the business card in Squid Game is actually just the phone number of somebody completely unrelated to Netflix.
In a statement to The Independent, the streaming giant said: "Together with the production company, we are working to resolve this matter, including editing scenes with phone numbers where necessary."
In fact, the owner of the phone number - a resident of the Gyeonggi province of South Korea - has told SK publication Money Today: "It has come to the point where people are reaching out day and night due to their curiosity. It drains my phone’s battery and it turns off."
The man added that he has been receiving around 4000 calls a day as a result of the scene.
