SEOUL: Thousands of fans gathered in Seoul on Saturday to celebrate the final `Squid Game` season, ending a global Netflix hit that is seen as a symbol of South Korea`s cultural clout.

The third and final season was released on Friday, concluding the series that sees desperate people compete in deadly versions of traditional children`s games for a massive cash prize.

Director Hwang Dong-hyuk said he had `poured everything` into the series, which launched nearly four years ago.

`So while it`s sentimental to see it end, he said, `there`s also a sense of relief`.

Fans gathered near Seoul`s Gyeongbokgung Palace, led by marchers dressed in the bright pink uniforms worn by the show`s mysterious masked agents.

They were followed by others carryingoversize toys from one of the games featured in the series, along with the show`s flag.

Park Sang-gyu, a fan who stayed up all night watching the final season, said the dystopian drama was `ultimately a story about people`. `As you watch, you realise it`s not just about the games it reflects many aspects of real life.` The walls of the Seoul Metropolitan Library were lit up with key scenes, including Young-hee the giant motion-sensing animatronic doll featured in one of its brutal games.

Lee Byung-hun, who played the masked Front Man overseeing the competition, said the show had become `something of a cultural phenomenon`.

`One that has drawn one of the boldest lines in the history of Korean content, he said.-AFP