Squid Game creator reveals the real-life violence which inspired the hit Netflix show
Squid Game, Netflix’s global phenomenon, is all set to stream on the OTT platform. While the series presents a fictional account of desperate individuals competing in deadly games for a massive cash prize, its origins are deeply rooted in real-life events, inspired by the violent Ssangyong strikes of 2009. A factory transformed into a war zone, riot police wielding tasers, and an activist enduring 100 days atop a chimney—the real-life unrest that inspired Netflix’s most successful show bears all the elements of a gripping TV drama.
ET Year-end Special Reads
Gold outshines D-St with 20% returns, but 2025 may be different
The year of the pause: How RBI maneuvered its policy in 2024
2024, the year India defeated China's salami-slicing strategy
Squid Game inspired by violent labour strikes
Hwang Dong-hyuk, Squid Game’s director and writer, in an interview with AFP, shared that the inspiration for the series’ protagonist, Seong Gi-hun, stems from the violent labour strikes at Ssangyong Motor Company in 2009. This turbulent period saw more than 2,600 employees laid off, nearly 40 per cent of the workforce, as the struggling car manufacturer faced financial ruin. The announcement triggered a 77-day occupation of the factory by workers, culminating in violent clashes between strikers and riot police. Armed with slingshots and steel pipes, the workers faced a heavily armed police force equipped with rubber bullets and tasers. The chaos turned the factory into a battlefield, with helicopters hovering overhead and creating intense winds that added to the workers’ plight.
He further added that the aftermath of the strike left a deep scar on South Korea’s labour history. Many workers faced severe physical injuries, legal battles, and
