This is the true story that gave its name to the success of Netflix’s ‘Squid Game’

It’s been more than three years since ‘Squid Game’ premiered in November 2021. Now, with the arrival of its second season on Netflix, the South Korean phenomenon is back on the front pages. Its plot of extreme survival games and economic desperation has captivated audiences around the world. Created by Hwang Dong-hyuk, more than $45 million is at stake, and after several life-or-death tests, only one person can win the prize. In turn, the success of ‘Squid Game’ is largely due to the fact that it symbolizes a metaphor for modern society.

What is the true origin of the Squid Game?

We have to go back to 2008. More than a decade after the screenwriter and director Hwang Dong-hyuk started writing the script for ‘Squid Game’. According to the author himself, the inspiration came from various Japanese stories such as Battle Royale, As the Gods Will, and Alice in Borderland; all of which had a common denominator: economically desperate people participating in survival games. So he thought about transferring this plot to the reality of Korea. A situation somewhat similar to his own, as he was also experiencing money problems at the time.

Dong-hyuk decided to subtly modify the typical games of his childhood and add a deadly perspective to them. However, the idea initially proved too violent to attract investment. The South Korean author tried, but failed to raise enough money. Until a few years later, specifically in 2018, Netflix was interested in producing his script, and in September the following year, he announced that he would create a Korean original series and that it would be called “Round Six”.

In addition, the various popular Korean games such as “Green Light, Red Light,” “The Rope Game,” and “The Squid Game” itself (the final test that gives the series its name) were easy to understand and conveyed melancholy to viewers. A combination of children’s pastimes and explicit violence, but loaded with metaphors about competitiveness and economic hardship.

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