Bow and Gift Box symbolism throughout Squid Game

Question

Throughout the 9 episodes of Squid Game (2021), there are several instances of gift boxes with bows on them. The main character, Seong Gi-hun, tried desperately to retrieve a gift box from a coin operated machine in the first episode, which was eventually done for him by a child. The police officer found a gift box with a bow in the cinderblock room with all the info about the game. All of the caskets looked like gift boxes, complete with bows. There were several other appearances of gift boxes with bows on them, always with the bow off-center.

Has anyone seen anything that might explain the symbolism of this? It occurred too many times to not have some meaning behind it.

Answer 1

I always felt the gift box in the picking machine was a foreshadowing of what is gonna come next. But for the casket show's art director revealed it themselves (from sportskeeda):

The show’s art director Chae Kyung Sun revealed she thought of the design as the maker of the games, saying:

“I think I focused on the mind of the person who came up with the game. I imagined he’d think he gave the contestants a chance as if he’s a god.“

And as the makers love being God and having fun with deep-in-debt individuals, their farewell would also be a grand gesture.

The art director let her imagination run and wondered if this is what the game maker would think bidding them goodbye:

“This is my gift to you. Even your bodies being disposed in the incinerator is a show of my mercy.”

Director Hwang Dong Hyuk also revealed he's a BLACKPINK fan too. He added to the art director’s comment saying,

“The main colors of the managers are black and pink. So I matched those tones, like BLACKPINK.”