What is Korean lover game that turned fatal for Ghaziabad sisters and is it similar to Blue Whale Challenge that set 50 tasks over 50 days?

An online Korean game turned fatal for three minor sisters in Uttar Pradesh's Ghaziabad as the trio died after jumping from a window. The sisters, identified as Nishika (16), Prachi (14) and Pakhi (12), were reportedly addicted to a Korean task-based gaming app. The sisters reportedly wrote, "Sorry, Papa… we cannot leave Korea. Korea is our life, and you can't make us leave it. That's why we are committing suicide," police said.

The Korean lover game is now making headlines after the three sisters jumped one by one from their ninth-floor home, allegedly as part of a Korean 'love game' that they were addicted to.

What is the Korean lover game?

The Korean lover game is a themed, task-based online “romantic” game in which players interact with a virtual partner, according to a report in News18 Hindi. Not meant for typical entertainment, the Korean lover game are widely available on mobile platforms or websites, draw heavily on Korean pop culture, including K-dramas and K-pop. As per a report in India Today, the game has 50 tasks.


The Korean lover game Players select a virtual companion who communicates in Korean, sends affectionate messages, and assigns daily tasks. As the game progresses, these tasks reportedly become more demanding. Early tasks may involve chatting, sharing photos, or staying in constant communication, while later tasks are said to turn more personal and, in some cases, risky or harmful.

ALSO READ: 'Sorry, Papa. Korea is our life…': Heartbreaking diary note of 3 sisters reveals tragic obsession with Korean games, leaving family in tears

These games appear to be built on the popularity of Korean entertainment culture, encouraging users to immerse themselves in a fantasy where they imagine being part of that world. Following a recent incident, a police investigation suggested that three sisters had become deeply involved in online gaming during the COVID-19 pandemic. They reportedly spent most of their time together and were closely connected through the game.

Police investigating the incident have revealed that the girls were “highly addicted” to an online Korean love game and spent most of their time playing on mobile phones. “The girls left behind a lot of notes in a diary and stated that they were sorry, and also made a crying caricature. They were highly obsessed with the game and thought that they were not Indians, but Koreans. They also portrayed themselves as Korean princesses under the influence of the game,” Assistant Police Commissioner (ACP) Atul Kumar Singh said.

ALSO READ: Korean lover game obsession turns fatal: 3 minor sisters die after jumping from 9th floor in Ghaziabad; Online game role suspected

Is the Korean lover game similar to Blue Whale game?

Multiple reports have compared the structure of Korean lover game to the infamous “Blue Whale Challenge,” a Russian online game that allegedly assigned 50 tasks over 50 days, with the final task encouraging self-harm. The "Blue Whale challenge" was reported to be an online "suicide game" aimed at teenagers which set 50 tasks over 50 days. The challenge was alleged to be linked to numerous deaths around the world.

In the Blue Whale Challenge, initially the tasks were fairly innocuous: "Wake up in the middle of the night" or "Watch a scary film". But day by day, the tasks grew more sinister.

"Stand on the ledge of a tower block." "Cut a whale into your arm." The final challenge? A demand that the user kill themselves.

Korean lover game that took 3 lives

Police are probing the role of addiction to an online Korean game after three sisters jumped from the 9th floor of Tower B-1 in Bharat City Society, under Tila Mod police limits in Ghaziabad on Wednesday morning. They were rushed by an ambulance to a hospital in Loni, where doctors declared them dead on arrival.

According to the police, the sisters became addicted to online gaming during the COVID-19 period and had been continuously playing the Korean game, often together. "The three did everything together -from bathing, eating and sleeping to going to school," the ACP said.

Reprimanded by their parents for their addiction to the game since the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020, the girls had also kept Korean names. According to NDTV, before dying by suicide, the girls locked the room from inside.

(With PTI inputs)