Real-life violence that inspired Squid Game left countless dead, survivors were ‘frustrated’ by Netflix show

The Ssangyong strikes of 2009, which engulfed a car factory in Korea, were the inspiration behind Netflix’s Squid Game.

A factory turned into a battlefield, riot police armed with tasers and an activist who spent 100 days atop a chimney — the unrest that inspired Netflix’s most successful show ever has all the hallmarks of a TV drama.

This month sees the release of the second season of Squid Game, a dystopian vision of South Korea where desperate people compete in deadly versions of traditional children’s games for a massive cash prize. (Also read: Squid Game creator Hwang Dong-hyuk likens show’s violent game to US election, S2 will ask ‘is majority always right?’)

But while the show itself is a work of fiction, Hwang Dong-hyuk, its director and writer, has said the experiences of the main character Gi-hun, a laid-off worker, were inspired by the violent Ssangyong strikes in 2009.

“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,” he has said.

In May 2009, Ssangyong, a struggling car giant taken over by a consortium of banks and private investors, announced it was laying off more than 2,600 people, or nearly 40 percent of its workforce.

That was the beginning of an occupation of the factory and a 77-day strike that ended in clashes between strikers armed with slingshots and steel pipes and riot police wielding rubber bullets and tasers. Many union members were severely beaten, and some were jailed.

‘Many lost their lives’
The conflict did not end there. Five years later, union leader Lee Chang-kun held a sit-in for 100 days on top of one of the factory’s chimneys to protest a sentence in favour of Ssangyong against the strikers.

He was supplied with food from a basket attached to a rope by supporters and endured hallucinations of a tent rope transformed into a writhing snake.

Some who experienced the unrest struggled to discuss Squid Game because of the trauma they endured, Lee told AFP.

The repercussions of the strike, compounded by protracted legal battles, caused significant financial and mental strain for workers and their families, resulting in around 30 deaths by suicide and stress-related issues, Lee said. “Many have lost their lives. People had to suffer for too long,” he said.

He vividly remembers the police helicopters circling overhead, creating intense winds that ripped away workers’ raincoats. Lee said he felt he could not give up.

“We were seen as incompetent breadwinners and outdated labour activists who had lost their minds,” he said. “Police kept beating us even after we fell unconscious — this happened at our workplace, and it was broadcast for so many to see.”

Lee said he had been moved by scenes in the first season of Squid Game where Gi-hun struggles not to betray his fellow competitors.

But he wished the show had spurred real-life change for workers in a country marked by economic inequality, tense industrial relations and deeply polarised politics. “Despite being widely discussed and consumed, it is disappointing that we have not channelled these conversations into more beneficial outcomes,” he said.

‘Shadow of state violence’
The success of Squid Game in 2021 left him feeling “empty and frustrated”. “At the time, it felt like the story of the Ssangyong workers had been reduced to a commodity in the series,” Lee told AFP.

Squid Game, the streaming platform’s most-watched series of all time, is seen as embodying the country’s rise to a global cultural powerhouse, part of the Korean wave alongside the Oscar-winning Parasite and K-pop stars such as BTS.

But its second season comes as the Asian democracy finds itself embroiled in some of its worst political turmoil in decades, triggered by conservative President Yoon Suk Yeol’s failed bid to impose martial law this month.

Yoon has since been impeached and suspended from duties pending a ruling by the Constitutional Court.

That declaration of martial law risked sending the Korean wave “into the abyss”, around 3,000 people in the film industry, including “Parasite” director Bong Joon-ho, said in a letter following Yoon’s shocking decision.

Vladimir Tikhonov, a Korean studies professor at the University of Oslo, told AFP that some of South Korea’s most successful cultural products highlight state and capitalist violence.

“It is a noteworthy and interesting phenomenon — we still live in the shadow of state violence, and this state violence is a recurrent theme in highly successful cultural products.”

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Bang Si Hyuk credits himself and BTS for cultural impact, but fans aren’t happy: ‘It’s embarrassing…’

In a recent interview, Bang Si Hyuk discussed his journey with BTS, acknowledging their groundbreaking success and the shift in perceptions of Asian culture.

HYBE founder and Chairman Bang Si Hyuk recently sat down for an interview with Asia Society, which was subsequently released on YouTube. During the interview, the K-pop mogul, currently embroiled in legal disputes with former ADOR CEO Min Hee Jin and the K-pop group NewJeans, attributed the rise of the global Hallyu wave to the success of BTS.

Bang Si Hyuk credits BTS for K-pop success
“Honestly, I never imagined this kind of success,” Chairman Bang replied when asked if he ever envisioned his work leading to the spread of K-pop and Korean culture. “When I was young, the global market, or the U.S. market, which represents the global market, felt so far from me. All those involved were heroes to me, people I could never possibly approach.”

Crediting BTS for their role in his success, he continued, “And when BTS and I embarked on this journey together, I never thought it would lead us to where we are now.”

Bang Si Hyuk spoke about his unexpected journey with BTS, admitting that he never imagined their success would reach the level it has today. He shared that a couple of years after BTS debuted, he realised he was creating something truly groundbreaking in Asia. “I got to where I am now because I chased my dreams, but even now, when I look back, there are many times when what I’m doing feels unrealistic,” he said according to The Qoo.

Bang also touched on the importance of understanding cultural differences, believing that when we welcome those differences, it can lead to global peace and progress. “Before BTS achieved global success, the understanding of Asian culture was very narrow or superficial, and people who liked Asian culture were seen as people with very unique tastes.”

He continued, “I think that my efforts through BTS have improved our understanding of each other as people around the world have come to think that they are hot.”

K-netizens react to HYBE’s chairman’s comment on BTS and K-pop success
While BTS undeniably brought a revolutionary change to K-pop, positioning itself as one of the biggest and most influential boy bands with millions of fans around the world, not everyone seemed pleased with Bang Si Hyuk’s recent remarks. Some Korean fans felt it was unfair of him to overlook the contributions of earlier K-pop acts who helped pave the way for BTS’s success. Others also pointed to his ongoing controversies with NewJeans and questioned how he handles K-pop groups beyond BTS.

“Is he still in the US? Why isn’t he even coming to Korea, yet keeps mentioning the members and talking nonsense?” a social media user commented. “Bang Si Hyuk, wake up. I had a lot of problems with being a BTS fanboy, and I’m worried about the future, so I’m on the verge of quitting the fandom,” another user shared. “It’s embarrassing that HYBE is becoming the face of K-pop,” a third chimed in. “It’s all because of BTS, not you, so don’t take credit,” another remarked. However, some defended him, praising his treatment of BTS despite the criticism, with others pointing out how he is being treated unfairly in Korea due to “stupid” allegations.

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Prince Narula and Yuvika Chaudhary’s separate birthday wishes for daughter fuel marriage trouble buzz

Social media users are wondering why Prince Narula and Yuvika Chaudhary have put out the special note for their daughter separately.

Amidst rumours of trouble in their marriage, Prince Narula and Yuvika Chaudhary are marking a special milestone – their daughter’s two-month birthday. However, the couple’s celebration has raised eyebrows. Also read: ‘Rishte se zyada vlog imp hai’: Trouble in paradise? Here’s why Prince Narula, Yuvika Chaudhary are sparring publicly

This time, Prince and Yuvika chose to post separate photos to wish their little one, sparking speculation among fans about the state of their relationship.

Separate wishes for daughter
On Friday, Prince Narula took to his Instagram handle to share a picture of him holding his daughter in his arms and looking at her. He was seen hiding his daughter’s face from his hand. He shared the with the caption, which read, “Happy 2 month to my baby love ikleen papa loves u the most.”

Yuvika also shared a post for her daughter. In the image, she is seen holding her daughter and kissing on her forehead, with balloons around her. She captioned the post as, “19th the date to remember”.

Fans are worried
However, as soon the posts went live, social media users wondered why they put out the special note separately. Fans also noticed that they were absent from each other’s pictures. They expressed their concerns about the couple’s relationship.

“Thoda sa care yuvika ko bhi dekna ye phase bohot tough hota hai (Please show some care towards Yuvika too),” wrote one user, with one asking, “Where is Yuvika?”

One user shared, “Just an advice from new mom . Please do take care of yuvi also . It’s one of the most challenging phase for a new mom . We need support , understanding,love , care and all . Try to be there for her as much as possible . You must have work commitments going on but try to give some time to be with yuvi. Work will come and go but family time and bond will never come back. Cherish these fragile moments”.

“God bless for baby … pla ap clear karo k ap aur prince Alagappan nahi ho Rahe ho apke fan bahut preshan ho Rahe h..(Please clear the rumours around trouble in your marriage. Fans are worried)”

Trouble brewing in marriage
Prince and Yuvika met on the sets of Bigg Boss season 9. They tied the knot on October 12, 2018. After six years of marriage, the duo announced the news of their first pregnancy earlier this year in June. On October 19, the duo welcomed their baby girl, Ekleen, on October 19. Rumours around trouble in their marriage soon after the delivery of the baby.

Yuvika was absent from Prince’s birthday celebration last month. Fans believed that Prince took indirect jibes at Yuvika through an Instagram post. The post read, “Kuch log vlogs mein jhooth bol ke, sache ban jate hai. Or kuch log chup rahe kar galat sabit ho jate. Is zamane mein rishte se jada vlogs important hai (Some people lie in their vlog, and some people prefer to stay mum. For some, vlogs are more important than relationships)”. They have not made a statement about the speculation yet.

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