South Korea in Squid Game
The very first thing I jokingly said to my friends after watching Netflix’s Squid Game was that it was ruining my childhood. Being born and raised in South Korea in childhood, I played Mugunghwa Flower is Bloomed (Red Light, Green Light), Dalgona candy, marble games and the Ddak-ji flipping game every day in elementary school. These remain as my favourite memories, but they are portrayed violently in the show. Undeniably, these games must be regarded as a happy memory for the players in Squid Game as well. However, the players are now being chased by loan sharks and enormous debt, which force them to participate in the Squid Game, which cost them their lives.
The show’s incorporation of the memories of “the good old days” with “hell-like reality” in one setting emphasize the co-existence of the happy and dark sides of the society. Even when we were happy playing games in our childhood, loan sharks still existed. Even when we were unaware of debt collectors, they still co-existed with us within the fence called Korea. Both those dark and bright elements are Korea. Therefore, Squid Game excellently reflects Korea itself. It shows the culture and problems of the country.
The most notable challenge of Korea in the show is extreme economic hardship. Gambling is a significant theme in the show because the main character Gi-hun, as well as the VIPs, participate in gambling. In fact, gambling has become a trend in Korea. According to YTN News, one of the biggest news channels in Korea, there has been a significant increase in the gambling population of Korea over the last 5 years. Surprisingly, out of every 3 people gambling, 2 people are in their 20s and 30s. Additionally, between 2014 and 2018, the entire gambling population increased by 60%, including a tremendous increase in the teenage gambling population. These horrific statistics can be explained by current economic situations in Korea. In an interview with an office worker from Korea, Jin Yu Young from the New York Times explains soaring housing prices and increasing competition in South Korea. According to the interview, it is practically impossible for an average person to live comfortably on a regular employee’s salary. Furthermore, prices in Seoul have increased by over 50% during the current president Moon Jae-in’s presidency. For more comfortable living, people began to seek alternative methods to earn money such as investing in the stock market and, sadly, gambling. This dreadful reality explains the popularity of gambling culture in Korea, which is also why Gi-hun in the show was drawn to participate in gambling.
In Squid Game, not only did the lower-class people gamble, but notably, VIPs were also gambling. The whole purpose of the game itself was to entertain the VIPs, who were extremely wealthy but bored. In Korea, during the 2007 economic crisis, a small number of upper-class Koreans were caught by the police while gambling outside of Korea, according to Kyunghyang News. 2007 was an economically challenging year for Koreans, but some wealthy people still participated in gambling. Most of them were businessmen, who gambled money obtained from fraud and voice-fishing. In today’s economic hardship, there is no doubt that some wealthy people, like back in 2007, gamble with money they have obtained both legally and illegally. Gambling is not only a culture and practice of lower-class people; rich people also enjoy gambling. But the purpose of gambling during an economic crisis could not be more different between the two classes. The lower-class seek money to pay off debts in a short amount of time and to be economically better off. However, the wealthy regard gambling as just another way of entertainment. This accurately portrays how Korean society is structured. It also excellently demonstrates polarisation and the wide economic gap between the upper and lower classes in Korea.
Not only dark elements can be found in Squid Game. There are also interesting Korean cultural elements in the show, such as how the games function. There are five games played in the game, but I will only talk about two of them: Mugunghwa Flower is Bloomed and Dalgona. Commonly known as Red Light, Green Light, Mugunghwa Flower is Bloomed is the most played game among children in Korea. The rules are simple: move only when whoever is “it” shouts, “Mugunghwa flower is bloomed.” One interesting thing about this game is that the Mugunghwa flower, also known as the Rose of Sharon, is the national flower of South Korea. It has a deep connection with the history of Korea, representing the hardship and sorrows that Koreans underwent during the colonial era. According to the Korean government, the flower has been an important symbol of Korean culture for centuries, existing along with the Korean people. Connecting such a significant flower to these violent games may symbolise the internal destruction and chaos within Korean society. I believe that the violence of the game shows what Korea’s economic situation has made the society into. People became violent and selfish, which is portrayed by the desperate players who even stepped on other people’s bodies to run away and survive during the game in the show. Regardless, the Mugunghwa remains the most connected and closest flower to Koreans. It has had a deep and friendly connection with Koreans since the start of Korean history. It also is part of our childhood memories. Next, Dalgona candy is a candy made from sugar and baking soda. In the old days, these candies could be easily seen, but now, it is usually only sold in traditional markets. Many Dalgona-makers would give an extra dalgona to customers who successfully cut the shape out of the candy, and the show was motivated by this. The two games can be considered the national games of Korea, and they can cause the entire population to reminisce.
Squid Game, in my opinion, reflects the current reality in South Korean society. It simultaneously brings up nostalgic memories while confronting viewers with the uncomfortable present. Squid Game demonstrates the true structure and reality of Korean society and its culture. It also brings more awareness of Korean culture and society to non-Korean viewers. Also, through symbols like gambling and the Mugunghwa flower, the show also tries to criticise the social and economic gap in society. I cannot propose solutions to the economic instability in Korea, but through this show and my little stream of thoughts, I hope many people are stimulated to think more about humanity, as well as Korea and its cultural and societal elements.
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