Is ‘Squid Game’ Based on True Story? Are There Real-Life Incidents That Inspired Hwang Dong-hyuk’s Netflix Show? Truth Behind ‘1986 True Story’ and ‘Brothers Home’ Explained
Ever since its release, Netflix’s hit show Squid Game, both seasons one and two, has quickly become one of the OTT platform’s most-viewed shows ever, across the globe. The series’ gripping storyline, paired with intriguing characters, an excellent and catchy background score, impactful tracks, and, of course, the intense games, has made it an unforgettable and exciting watch. It keeps everyone on the edge of their seats in literally every episode. The show takes a sharp look at society, making viewers think and feel deeply as the stories of desperation hit a little too close to home. But the show has viewers wondering if it is inspired by true events or not. While the games are entirely fictional, the hardships and stories of some of the characters, especially the lead, Gi-Hun, are based on true events. Here’s all you need to know. ‘Squid Game’ Season 2 Creates History: Lee Jung-jae’s Survival Thriller Debuts No 1 on Netflix in All 93 Countries.
Squid Game Real Story
In 2021, director Hwang Dong-Hyuk, in an interview, revealed that Gi-Hun’s backstory in Squid Game is inspired by South Korea’s Ssangyong Motor Strike of 2009 as well as class disparity and capitalism in South Korea. In reality, Ssangyong fired 43% of its workforce—around 2,646 employees—in one round of layoffs, triggering a 77-day sit-in-strike. This event, marked by tension and despair, became one of South Korea’s longest and most intense industrial disputes. In the series, Gi-Hun is laid off from Dragon Motors and joins the deadly games in a desperate attempt to escape financial ruin.
Truth Behind 1986 True Story
There is a story circulating online that claims that the show is based on a case from 1986. According to the claims, a place known as ‘No Man’s Land’ housed hostages who had to compete in games in order to survive. But there is no evidence or documents to prove these. In addition, there is no clarification on what ‘No Man’s Land’ is actually referring to.
Is Squid Game Inspired by Brothers Home?
Though the show is not based on the Birthers Home, a Korean concentration camp often referred to as the ‘real life Squid Game,’ many have pointed out similarities between the intense games in the show and the camp. In the 1980s, a man was jailed for embezzlement and illegal confinement for the running Brothers Home, a camp that operated like a dictatorship. Inmates were divided into platoons and forced to compete and abuse others in order to survive. These punishments and competitions were called ‘games.’
Brothers Home Concentration Camp in South Korea
“Brothers Home” Concentration Camp in Busan, south Korea. Operated during the U.S.-backed military dictatorship, it housed upwards of 5,000 orphaned children, the homeless, disabled persons, and student activists rounded up off the streets and placed behind its concrete walls. pic.twitter.com/U7LzeMRNmM
— Nat 🇰🇵 (@NatalieRevolts) January 19, 2020
South Korean Camp Brothers Home
Did you know South Korea’s Squid Game mirrors real-life horrors? The Brother’s Home, a “welfare” facility in the 1970s, exploited 38,000 marginalized people through forced labor, abuse, and corruption.
It has been called South Korea’s Concentration Camp. While the popular TV… pic.twitter.com/eKqvtzbUZc
— Adelle Nazarian (@AdelleNaz) January 3, 2025
The camp was allegedly set up to clear the streets of homeless people ahead of the 1988 Seoul Olympic Games. The creators of the Brothers Home claimed that they were purifying the country. According to reports, 551 people were said to have died at the camp; however, the actual number is believed to be much higher. ‘Squid Game’ Season 2: From the Frontman’s Secret to That Mid-Credit Tease, 7 ‘Red Light’ Questions We Have After Watching the Downbeat Finale Episode (SPOILER ALERT).
It is not clear whether the Brothers Home inspired the show or not, but it did expose systemic corruption and violence disguised as social welfare. Through Squid Game, the director aimed to highlight how, in today’s world, any ordinary middle-class person can find themselves at the bottom of the economic ladder.
(The above story first appeared on Today News 24 on Jan 07, 2025 02:46 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website todaynews24.top).
