South Korean actor Park Sung-hoon, who rose to global fame for his role in the Netflix series "Squid Game," will visit Kazakhstan for the first time. He will headline the Almaty Geek Games Expo 2026 pop culture and gaming festival, infohub.kz reports.
The festival of geek culture, film, gaming and cosplay will take place in Almaty on September 26–27 at the Baluan Sholak Sports Palace. The event has been held since 2022.
Beyond the cult hit "Squid Game," viewers know the actor for his standout roles in the dramas "The Glory," "Queen of Tears" and "A Psychopath's Diary." At the festival, fans will be able to see the star in person, attend his performances, and take part in an autograph and photo session.
Another celebrity guest announced for the festival is Scottish actor Daniel Portman, who gained worldwide recognition as Podrick Payne in the HBO series "Game of Thrones" and also appeared in "Black Mirror." The program includes esports tournaments and a cosplay competition.
The comments under the social media announcements have caused a real sensation. Drama fans are eagerly discussing the news and sharing their emotions. Many users admit they couldn't believe their eyes until the last moment. Fans are declaring their love for the actor, calling him their "crush" and the best actor in Korea.
"Crush," "When I watched 'Squid Game,' I really fell in love with this actor, I was so worried about him. Almaty, I envy you," "How cool," users write.
Earlier, Kursiv LifeStyle wrote that South Korean series have long outgrown Asia. Today they are watched all over the world, from Europe to the US – and this is no longer a "niche" hobby, so to speak, but a global cultural phenomenon.