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For the past few weeks a new craze has been spreading amongst the students in Korean elementary schools. The craze is a game and it’s name is dak-ji (닥지). To play one must first make one or more dak-ji piece/s. Initially, students of my school would buy special Dak-ji paper to make their pieces – which make a 6cm by 6cm playing piece. Now the students are using any paper-like material that they can get there hands on.  

Once a player has their own Dak-ji piece they can compete. To play, both competitors place a dak-ji piece on the floor. Rock, paper, scissors then follows and the winner of that will then try to flip their opponents piece over using theirs. If you fail then it’s your opponents turn to try and win yours. And so it goes until one of the pieces is flipped and won. Dak-ji is similar to Pogs, if you’re old/young enough to remember that.

  

As you can see it’s a fast paced game. I have seen a considerable number of pieces change hands in the space of just a few minutes. Meaning, some students can lose all their Dak-ji wealth in the matter of minutes. Luckily for the losers, the Dak-ji paper is inexpensive at 1,000Korean won/ less than $1(US) / 65p(English) for forty sheets.

On a normal lunch time, I’m watching the students of my class play each other. A tournament soon commences. Two players appear to dominate and soon draw a crowd of supporters. However, there is one boy sat away from the majority of the group. He is a student who has paid little interest in the game so far but, he now seems to have spotted something. His eyes grow wide. He has seen an opportunity.

For five more minutes he sits there watching the tournament. Then he bolts for the rubbish bin (trash can) and rummages through its contents unril he comes across an empty milk carton. With less than two minutes, and a pair of scissors he’s done it! He’s created a game-changer. The new Dak-ji.

It’s more than three times the original Dak-ji’s weight and has 13cm more impact surface area. It is clear from the outset that this piece will dominate. But, before playing with it he taunts the other students. Waving the improved model about with a boastful allure, he highlights the craftsmanship and mimics drinking from the flattened carton. His hosts are hooked.

He offers the new technology out to one of the alpha players. She accepts and they sit down to commence battle. Piece after piece he turns his competitor’s possessions over to claim them as his own. Then he stumbles.

He misses a piece. And his rival steps up to the plate to claim the much converted handcrafted-milkcarton-Dak-ji. Her eyes narrow as she eyes her prey. She raises and lowers her arm twice as a practice swing, to maximize accuracy. As she raises her arm for the third and final time before the Dak-ji’s release the crowd falls silent. As her arm reaches its full outreach she snaps it forward  and brings it down with her full force, releasing her Dak-ji onto her opponents. SLAP. Full contact is made.  

The crowd begins to breathe again. The milk carton Dak-ji was exactly as it was before. The craftsman counters and steps up for his second attempt at winning her once evasive piece. With a sporting smile he cracks his milk carton Dak-ji onto the grounded one, turning it with ease and returning the crowd to its previous frenzy. Bam.

Of course this was just the start. Dak-ji’s continued to grow throughout the day…