While Squid Game has received a near-universal positive response, detractors of the new Netflix series in North Korea are using the show’s premise as fuel for anti-South Korean propaganda.
As reported by Reuters, a North Korean propaganda website called Arirang Meari published a post on Oct. 12 that claims South Korean film critics said Squid Game shows an “unequal society where moneyless people are treated like chess pieces for the rich.”
The site goes on to say the series is a microcosm of real South Korean society, where their “humanity” is being eradicated due to competition.
“It is said that it makes people realize the sad reality of the beastly South Korean society in which human beings are driven into extreme competition and their humanity is being wiped out. … It is the current South Korean society where the number of losers in fierce competition such as employment, real estate and stocks increases dramatically,” the article reads.
In reality, Squid Game’s insightful cultural commentary about wealth disparity driving people to risk everything to survive in an inequitable society has resonated on a global scale. Netflix revealed the show has become its biggest launch ever, amassing 111 million viewers in 28 days, eclipsing the record Bridgerton previously held.
Squid Game creator, writer, and director Hwang Dong-hyuk said in an interview with the Hollywood Reporter that that massive success makes it hard for him to wrap his mind around a potential Season 2.
“Because of all that pressure, I haven’t decided yet whether or not I should do another season,” he said. “But if you look at it in a positive way, because so many people loved Season 1 and are expecting good things for Season 2, there are people everywhere in the world offering their opinions about where the show should go.”
