One of the things that helped make the South Korean Netflix series such a success is its universal story of people crushed under the financial weight of capitalism. The story, about a secret game show that pits 456 strangers against each other in a life-or-death fight for a massive payout, is ultimately relatable to anyone who has ever struggled financially. Even if the viewer wouldn't be willing to put his life on the line for billions of won/millions of dollars, he should be able to understand the characters' reasons for doing so. It's an incredibly compelling work anchored by great performances, especially lead actor Lee Jung-Jae, played by Seong Gi-Hoon, who in the first season he managed to survive the games and defeat more than other players.

However, there are some things that are distinctly South Korean, which may leave international viewers just a little confused. While some of these things are rooted in South Korean history, like the story of player Kang Sae-byok (Jung Ho-hyeon). as a North Korean defector, others come from South Korean pop culture, which may not be on one's radar unless they are fans of K-pop music or major foreign film buffs. In the show's second season, we see the characters making a hand gesture to each other that looks like they're snapping their fingers, and international fans might be wondering what that means. Good news - we've got you covered.

The finger heart gesture, sometimes called the "Korean finger heart" in the international press due to its popularity among K-pop idols and South Korean actors, is done by placing the thumb and index finger across each other to make a small heart with the fingertips . Because it represents a heart, the sign is a sign of affection, essentially saying "I love you." The origin of the sign is a bit of a mystery, with K-pop artists Woohyun and Ji-Dragon and actor Kim Hye-soo credited with starting the sign from fans, but what is known for sure is that it absolutely blew up across South Korea. .

Even though it seemed like a pretty simple gesture to do, some international stars had a really hard time getting it right. While it's understandable that the US Olympic team had a tough time during the 2018 Winter Olympics in PyeongChang due to their thick gloves, Doctor Strange star Benedict Cumberbatch it just can't really seem put it downwith funny results.

The finger heart has its own emoji (🫰) and is likely to gain even more international popularity thanks to Squid Game, just in time for the next posing trend in K-pop: hearts with cheeks, where someone uses a curved hand to make a heart with the curve of their face. Maybe we'll see that "Squid Game" season 3 before the series ends.

The Squid Game is now streaming on Netflix.