Chatelaine: Love Squid Game? Here's the context you may have missed

Stock photo Sung Jin cho

Oct. 12, 2021

As many a pundit has opined since the release of the South Korean hit Squid Game on Netflix last month, one of the biggest reasons the series has become a runaway success is its dystopian, real-world, anti-capitalist message, wrapped in an outrageous, chilling plot line that turns childhood games into the stuff of nightmares.

The grim indictment on class struggle is a universal theme that has resonated strongly among audiences around the world: The nine-episode thriller is poised to become the biggest series ever for the streaming platform, and is currently its most popular show in 90 countries.

But while wealth inequality may be a commonly understood theme, there are a few historical references and cultural details specific to contemporary South Korean culture that may have escaped the average viewer’s attention—details that some bilingual Korean-speaking viewers claim were diluted and dumbed down in the translations.

More at https://www.chatelaine.com/living/entertainment/squid-game/