Reality is often weirder than fiction; perhaps that is why real-life incidents make a solid ground for various fiction-based shows. An example of the same can be seen in ‘Squid Game,’ where desperate individuals compete in deadly games to win a debt-shattering massive cash prize. Though the show offers fictional accounts of the competitors, the idea behind the intense violence of the series was inspired by the violent Ssangyong strikes of 2009.
It was a factory strike that took such an ugly turn that it would not be wrong to describe the premises as a war zone. This real-life chaos germinated the seed for Netflix’s one of the most successful thriller series ‘Squid Game.’
In an interview with AFP, ‘Squid Game’s director and writer, Hwang Dong-hyuk admitted that the inspiration for the series’ main lead, Seong Gi-hun, came from the violent labour strikes at Ssangyong Motor Company in 2009.
Talking about the respective strike, more than 2,600 employees were laid off when the manufacturer was struggling with major financial ruin. The layoff announcement led to a strike which resulted in violent clashes between strikers and riot police. On the one hand, were the labourers with slingshots and steel pipes, and on the other hand, there were heavily armed police forces equipped with rubber bullets and tasers.
It was nothing short of a battlefield, with helicopters hovering overhead.
Events like this leave a scar deeper and darker than imagined. Thus, the strike’s aftermath left a mark on South Korea’s labour history. From physical injuries to legal battles to financial challenges, so much was lost and so much was still slipping away from the hands. In addition to that, the psychological toll was devastating. Around 30 people died either by suicide or other stress-related issues; several lived a life of unrest for years.
Hwang Dong-hyuk mentioned that he drew from his real-world experiences for the series. It seems that the authentic elements of the story enabled it to connect with viewers globally.
If you notice carefully, the central theme of the show was that anyone can fall to the bottom in a blink of an eye, it was a stark reflection of the Ssangyong workers’ plight. Further, the depiction of life-and-death stakes in a controlled environment also came from the events of the strike.