High demand for 'Squid Game' tracksuits cheers S.Korea's struggling garment sector

SEOUL - The "Made in Korea" green tracksuits and pink jumpsuits worn by characters in Netflix's global hit "Squid Game" have proven a pre-Halloween bright spot for a South Korean garment industry struggling during the pandemic.

A 500-square-metre (598-square-yard) garment factory in the Seongbuk district of the capital Seoul was humming this week, green and pink thread flying off stacked spools off serger machines with loud knocking noises in a race to meet orders.

"October is usually a slow month for the sewing industry, but thanks to Squid Game and Halloween, we are scrambling to stitch," factory owner Kim jin-ja, 54, told Reuters. "We are now sewing 6,000 teal-green tracksuits for toddlers and children."