# Oh Il Nam Standing And Sitting > Oh Il Nam Standing And Sitting is a 2021 image-macro meme pairing contrasting screenshots of Netflix's Squid Game character Oh Il-Nam—standing carefree versus sitting dejected—to express emotional and mood shifts. Oh-Il Nam Standing and Sitting is an exploitable image macro meme featuring the elderly character Oh Il-Nam from the 2021 Netflix series *Squid Game*. The format uses two contrasting screenshots of the character, one showing him standing with a carefree expression and another showing him sitting with a dejected look, to express shifts in mood or emotional contrast. The meme spread rapidly across Twitter and Reddit in late September and October 2021 as *Squid Game* became a global hit[3]. ## Origin *Squid Game*, the South Korean survival drama created by Hwang Dong-hyuk, premiered on Netflix on September 17, 2021[2]. The show follows 456 players in severe financial trouble who compete in children's games with fatal consequences for a cash prize of ₩45.6 billion[2]. Oh Il-Nam is the oldest contestant, wearing the number 001 jersey. Unlike the other players, he joined the games voluntarily because he has an inoperable brain tumor and little time left to live. This backstory gives him a distinctly relaxed attitude during the deadly competitions[3]. The first viral use of the character as meme material came on September 27, 2021, when Twitter user @GQBKR posted an image of Oh Il-Nam's blank stare from episode six, "Gganbu," with the caption "Me in the club after being forced to go out." The tweet picked up roughly 75,000 likes within ten days[3]. - **Platform:** Twitter (first viral post), Reddit (format development) - **Creator:** @GQBKR (first viral tweet), creepyfacts9 (first sitting meme on Reddit), Shami1111 (first combined format on Reddit) - **Date:** 2021 ## Overview The meme draws from two distinct moments in *Squid Game* featuring Oh Il-Nam, also known as Player 001, played by actor Oh Yeong-su[1]. The standing image captures him during the "Red Light, Green Light" game in episode one, where he appears cheerful and unbothered while other contestants are being killed around him. The sitting image shows him later in the series, slumped in the sleeping quarters between games, looking blank and depressed[3]. The contrast between these two states made the format perfect for before-and-after jokes, mood shifts, and situational humor. People typically pair the standing image with something exciting or carefree and the sitting image with a crushing or disappointing follow-up. ## How It Spread The sitting image, paired with sad or humorous photoshopped captions, was the first variant to gain traction as a standalone reaction image. On October 2, 2021, Reddit user creepyfacts9 posted one such meme to the r/SquidGame subreddit, earning 7,800 upvotes over 16 days[3]. Five days later, on October 7, 2021, Redditor Shami1111 created what appears to be the first meme combining both the standing and sitting images into a single two-panel format. Posted to r/SquidGame, it earned 6,500 upvotes in 11 days[3]. This two-panel comparison layout became the template's most popular configuration. On October 13, 2021, a standalone version using only the standing image appeared on r/Memes, posted by MysteriousEntity. It riffed on the "0.01% of germs" joke format and pulled in 11,100 upvotes in five days[3]. This showed the format's flexibility: either image worked alone or paired together. The meme's spread tracked closely with the show's own explosive popularity. *Squid Game* became Netflix's most-watched series and won six Primetime Emmy Awards[2]. As the show dominated social media conversation throughout October 2021, Oh Il-Nam memes became one of many *Squid Game* formats circulating on Reddit, Twitter, Instagram, and beyond[1]. Indonesian media also covered the character's meme appeal, with IDN Times highlighting Oh Il-Nam's frustrating on-screen behavior as fuel for the meme's comedy. They noted his high fighting spirit despite being the oldest player, and how his antics during the games made him both endearing and infuriating to audiences[1]. ## How to Use The format works in three common configurations: **Two-panel (standing vs. sitting):** Place the standing, happy Oh Il-Nam on top or left with a caption describing an optimistic scenario. Place the sitting, dejected version on the bottom or right with the disappointing follow-up. The joke lives in the emotional whiplash between the two states. Example: Standing = "Friday at 5pm." Sitting = "Sunday at 6pm." **Sitting only:** Use the depressed sitting image as a reaction to any sad, boring, or soul-crushing situation. Works like other "me at the party" or "me waiting for..." reaction formats. **Standing only:** Use the carefree standing image to represent someone blissfully unaware of danger, or someone who simply does not care about a serious situation happening around them. The format is flexible enough to work with any scenario involving a mood swing, before-and-after contrast, or depiction of false confidence followed by reality. ## Cultural Impact The Oh Il-Nam meme was part of a wave of *Squid Game* content that took over social media in late 2021. The show's global reach was unprecedented for a non-English language Netflix series[2]. Other *Squid Game* meme formats emerged around the same period, including the Red Light Green Light doll, the Squid Game guard masks, and various screenshot exploitables. Oh Yeong-su, the actor behind Oh Il-Nam, became one of the most recognizable faces from the series. His casting as the seemingly frail elderly player hiding a major secret gave the character layers that translated well into meme material[1]. The character's twist in the show's finale added retroactive humor to the memes, as viewers realized his casual attitude during the games had a very different explanation than what they initially assumed. ## Fun Facts - Oh Il-Nam's player number, 001, made him the first player registered, which takes on a much deeper meaning after the show's twist reveal[2]. - The "standing" screenshot comes from a scene where contestants are being shot by the Red Light, Green Light doll, making his relaxed posture especially absurd[3]. - The first viral Oh Il-Nam meme predated the two-panel format by over a week, starting as a simple reaction image on Twitter[3]. - *Squid Game* was conceived by Hwang Dong-hyuk in 2009 but took over a decade to get produced, as studios found the premise "too grotesque and unrealistic"[2]. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### What is Oh-Il Nam Standing and Sitting? It's an exploitable image macro meme using two contrasting screenshots of the character Oh Il-Nam from *Squid Game*. One image shows him standing with a carefree expression, the other shows him sitting and looking depressed[3]. ### Where did Oh-Il Nam Standing and Sitting come from? The meme originated from the Netflix series *Squid Game*, which premiered on September 17, 2021. The first viral post came from Twitter user @GQBKR on September 27, 2021[3]. ### What does Oh-Il Nam Standing and Sitting mean? The two images represent contrasting emotional states. The standing version shows carefree happiness or ignorance of danger, while the sitting version shows depression or disappointment. Together they express a shift from optimism to reality[3]. ### How do you use Oh-Il Nam Standing and Sitting? Pair the standing image with an optimistic or exciting caption and the sitting image with a sad or disappointing follow-up. Either image also works as a standalone reaction[3]. ### Is Oh-Il Nam Standing and Sitting still popular? The meme peaked during *Squid Game*'s initial viral run in late 2021. It still sees occasional use, especially when *Squid Game* returns to cultural conversation, such as around the second season's release in December 2024[2]. ### Who plays Oh Il-Nam in Squid Game? Oh Il-Nam is played by South Korean actor Oh Yeong-su[1]. ### Why is Oh Il-Nam so calm during the games? The character has an inoperable brain tumor, making him unafraid of death. This is why he approaches the deadly games with a relaxed attitude, which is where the standing meme image originates[3]. ### What episode does the standing image come from? The standing image comes from episode one, "Red Light, Green Light," during the first game[3]. ### When did the two-panel version first appear? Reddit user Shami1111 posted the first known combined standing-and-sitting meme to r/SquidGame on October 7, 2021[3]. ## References 1. [Meme Oh Il Nam, Peserta Squid Game yang Bikin Geregetan | IDN Times]() 2. [Oh-Il Nam Standing and Sitting - Know Your Meme]() 3. [2024 South Korean martial law crisis]() 4. [Squid Game]() --- Source: https://meme.com/memes/oh-il-nam-standing-and-sitting Published by meme.com — The Internet Meme Library