Squid Game has gained global acclaim for its gripping storyline and intense themes, which are deeply rooted in real-life events from South Korea’s labor movement.
The show is inspired by the 2009 Ssangyong Motor protests, a significant and violent chapter in South Korea’s labor history. During this period, Ssangyong Motor, a struggling automobile company, announced the dismissal of 2,600 employees, which led to a prolonged occupation of the factory by the workers. Over a period of 77 days, workers faced brutal clashes with police, who used rubber bullets and forceful tactics to break the standoff.
Hwang Dong-hyuk, the creator of Squid Game, drew from these events to portray the struggles of ordinary citizens facing economic hardship. “I wanted to show how anyone, in today’s world, can fall into financial ruin overnight,” he said in an interview.
The aftermath of the Ssangyong protests was deeply tragic, with numerous workers and their families suffering from severe mental distress, and some even taking their own lives. One notable figure, Lee Chang-kun, spent 100 days atop the factory chimney in defiance of the authorities.
Squid Game serves as a powerful reflection of South Korea’s socio-political instability, with its depiction of poverty, injustice, and state oppression mirroring the harsh realities faced by many during that period.
