Pink †Squid Gameâ€TM troops delight test takers in Indonesia

During the recent civil servant enrollment test (CPNS) at the Law and Human Rights Ministry's East Java office, the latest enthusiasm for the South Korean popular series "Squid Game" was disturbingly visible.

The officials in charge of the test dressed up as the pink soldiers from the TV show "Squid Game," who are known for executing individuals who fail the show's fatal games mercilessly.

They even had prop guns with them.

On the 12th day of the exam, pink soldiers arrived from within the 17 August 1945 University in Surabaya to gather the CPNS participants while sirens blared across the university's courtyard.

As the pink soldiers marched and assisted with the participants' administrative needs, the show's dramatic score could be heard.
They also appeared and acted in a promotional video for the ministry, pointing prop pistols at the participants.

According to Krismono, the head of the Law and Human Rights Ministry's East Java office, they intended to create a distinct mood during the test.

â€We aim to make the participants more calm and happy,†Krismono told kompas.com on October 20.

â€Because we can think more clearly when we're relaxed,†he remarked.

He explained that the name "Squid Game" was picked since the South Korean series and the CPNS test are similar in that contestants must overcome many difficulties in order to earn the grand prize.

â€However, the CPNS test is taken by people who are eager and hopeful, whereas the Squid Game is played by desperate people,†he concluded.

The CPNS for the Law and Human Rights Ministry in Surabaya, like the globally successful survival series, will only allow a percentage of the 26,435 participants that applied to advance to the next level.

Aini Solikhah, one of the participants, stated that she enjoyed the committee's "Squid Game" gimmick.