Did ‘Squid Game’ draw inspiration from real events?

Squid Game recently concluded on Netflix, concluding Player 456’s tragic journey. Despite this, some viewers are left questioning if the popular Netflix series could be inspired by real events due to its intense and surreal storyline.

Debuting in 2021, Squid Game was conceptualized, penned, and helmed by Hwang Dong-hyuk. Lee Jung-jae portrays Gi-hun, a struggling gambler who participates in the Squid Game to secure a better future for his daughter. Although Gi-hun emerged victorious in Season 1, the psychological toll prompted him to seek retribution. Utilizing his prize money, he enlists the help of a police officer and a team of mercenaries to dismantle the sinister game once and for all. Unfortunately, Season 2 sees Gi-hun facing further adversities and heartbreak, resulting in a profound transformation by the time Season 3 unfolds.

One of the hallmark features of Squid Game is its chilling and elaborate games that contestants must navigate to win the coveted monetary reward. Whether it’s the perilous red light-green light challenge or the complex six-legged pentathlon introduced in Season 2, each round escalates in intensity. With each defeat in these deceptively innocent games, contestants face elimination, heightening the suspense and brutal nature of the series.

So, how did Hwang come up with such a dark and twisted story? Is Squid Game inspired by a true story? Here is what we know so far.

Yes, it is partially inspired by a true story.

Hwang told AFP that Gi-hun’s backstory was inspired by the SsangYong Motor layoffs in 2009, which led to a 77-day-long strike and a massive brawl with riot police at the plant in Pyongtaek, South Korea. The layoff affected 1,000 employees – almost one-third of the company’s workforce – and is largely considered South Korea’s worst labor strike in years, per AP News.

“Through the reference to the SsangYong Motor layoffs, I wanted to show that any ordinary middle-class person in the world we live in today can fall to the bottom of the economic ladder overnight,” Hwang said.

But Hwang drew inspiration from several sources, according to a 2021 interview with Variety when he was accused of borrowing too much from Hunger Games and Battle Royale.

He explained that he drew “great inspiration from Japanese comics and animation” and read comics such as Battle Royale and Liar Game when he was first coming up with the idea for Squid Game, which he initially envisioned to be a feature film.

“I came to wonder how I’d feel if I took part in the games myself. But I found the games too complex, and for my own work focused instead on using kids’ games,” he said.

Hwang said he envisioned Squid Game as an “allegory” for modern capitalism, aiming for “something that depicts an extreme competition, somewhat like the extreme competition of life.”

Squid Game Season 1-3 are streaming now on Netflix.