Since its explosive debut in 2021, Squid Game has dominated Netflix charts and catapulted K-drama and K-culture to global acclaim. But behind the candy-colored sets and childhood games turned deadly lies a stark critique of capitalism, inequality, and survival—one that hits particularly close to home in South Korea.
And now, with Season 3 released on June 29, some Korean viewers say the dystopia portrayed in the show feels uncomfortably familiar.
“Season 3 captured the raw inner emotions of Koreans,” one viewer commented on YouTube.
“It reflects the brutal reality of everyday workplaces, where people are constantly
trying to crush one another. The show nailed it.”
The Real-Life Roots of Squid Game: Competition, Inequality, and Isolation
The brutal world of Squid Game is no exaggeration. It’s deeply rooted in South Korea’s hyper-competitive society—where youth unemployment is high, birth rates are plummeting, and inequality continues to widen.
The characters are drawn from everyday life: a salaryman drowning in debt, a migrant factory worker, a crypto scammer. These aren’t just fictional roles—they’re reflections of real societal archetypes that South Koreans recognize all too well.
The show’s main character, Seong Gi-hun, was laid off from an auto factory after restructuring. This backstory was inspired by the 2009 SsangYong Motors labor strike, one of Korea’s largest and most violent labor clashes, where workers battled riot police over mass layoffs.
One Korean film blogger wrote,
“The drama may be fictional, but it feels more real than reality itself. Precarious labor, youth joblessness, broken families—these aren’t plot devices; they’re our daily lives.”
Season 3’s Grand Release—and the Messages That Got Lost
While the show’s critical messages were at the heart of its success, they were somewhat overshadowed by the spectacle of its final season launch. On June 29, downtown Seoul was filled with parades of masked guards and a giant robot doll in celebration—turning the symbols of dystopian horror into Instagrammable moments.
The South Korean government, too, has embraced Squid Game as a symbol of cultural power. President Lee Jae-myung has repeatedly cited the show—alongside BTS and Parasite—as a cornerstone of Korea’s K-culture export strategy.
Adding fuel to the global hype, the final scene of Season 3—featuring Cate Blanchett playing a Korean children’s game in a Los Angeles alley—has sparked rumors of an American spinoff.
Divided Opinions: Gi-hun’s Final Sacrifice and the Nature of Humanity
In the final chapter, Gi-hun fails to shut down the game. Instead, he sacrifices himself to save another player’s infant—a dramatic ending that has divided viewers.
On popular Korean discussion boards, some viewers criticized the finale:
“The characters were too unrealistically altruistic. Prioritizing strangers over your own family just felt performative.”
Others, however, argued that the ending was brutally honest in portraying a world where winning isn’t always possible.
“We wanted Gi-hun to take down the VIPs, destroy the Front Man, and end the game once and for all—but that’s not how the world works. And that’s exactly the point the show makes,” said one YouTube commenter.
Director Hwang Dong-hyuk’s Reflections
In a press conference on July 1, series creator Hwang Dong-hyuk admitted that audience expectations made it harder to surprise viewers in the later seasons.
“Season 1 had no expectations, which allowed the shock factor to work. But by Seasons 2 and 3, everyone came in with high hopes,” he said.
“Some wanted more games, others wanted deeper themes, and some were more emotionally invested in the characters. Everyone wanted something different.”
A Bittersweet Finale: The Paradox of Cruelty and Kindness
Despite the mixed reviews, many viewers found deep meaning in the show’s final paradox—the coexistence of brutality and compassion.
One blogger shared,
“The ending was beautiful. It made me reflect on myself—especially as someone who works in education and counseling. I’ve always wondered whether kindness can truly change anything. That’s why I stuck with this story to the end.”
And that may be Squid Game’s ultimate legacy: not just a critique of capitalism or a spectacle of violence, but a haunting reminder that in even the darkest systems, there can be flickers of humanity—and choices that carry meaning.
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