Squid Game stocks plummeted after the release of the third season

Despite the success of the third season of "Squid Game," which took first place in Netflix's global ranking, South Korean companies associated with the production of the series suffered serious losses on the stock exchange.

According to Bloomberg, on Monday the shares of several firms involved in creating the show fell sharply. The stock of Artist Co agency, where lead actor Lee Jung-jae is the largest shareholder, dropped by 21%. Artist Studio Inc. lost 24% at once, while Dexter Studios Co, responsible for visual effects, fell by 8.5%.

Analysts attribute the decline to viewers' negative reaction to the season finale. "Many were disappointed by the ending - it didn't match their expectations and perception of the series," noted Kim Hearn-sik, a pop culture expert from Seoul.

The paradox is that high ratings usually contribute to stock growth. However, in this case, fan disappointment outweighed the numerical success. The first season of the show became a cultural phenomenon in 2021, garnering more than 142 million views and bringing worldwide success to Korean content.