It’s been more than a month and a half since Squid Game was released but it seems like the global craze over the show isn’t going away any time soon.
And of course, there have been many articles analyzing the reasons behind its global success.
But today we approach the mega hit series with a slightly different angle, focusing on the harsh reality reflected in the characters and the bloody contest.
For more, we have our Kim Sung-min in the studio.
Welcome Sung-min.

Thank you for having me.

So Sung-min, before we dig deeper, please briefly update us on the latest craze over Squid Game. Is it still such a hit?

Conn-young, it’s been more than 40 days since Squid Game topped the global chart and it’s still number one.

It garnered 1-hundred-42 million viewers based on those who watched more than two minutes during the first month of its launch, beating all the other original series created by Netflix.
And the craze can be seen in the real world too.
Just a few days ago on Halloween, streets were dominated by people in Squid Game-inspired costumes like green tracksuits and hot pink jumpsuits and these costumes were so popular that people had to pay around 60 dollars in delivery fees to get them on time.
The craze was even strong enough to help Netflix gain more new subscribers than expected.

The streaming service added 4.4 million new subscribers in the third quarter, smashing not only the company’s expectations but also those of industry watchers.
Taking advantage of the craze was a Squid Game themed cryptocurrency called SQUID, which saw its price surge around 230,thousand-percent in a few days,. before plummeting to effectively zero.
It turned out that it was a huge scam.

Right, I’m sure all the iconic and fun elements and Korea’s very own cultural aspects in the show mesmerized the audience.
But you’ve actually looked into some different aspects of the show, which highlight the somewhat darker sides of society.

You’re right.
The violent and surreal aspects might make the show look unrealistic but I was surprised to hear from the general public that what made the show more attractive was the harsh reality reflected by it.
Let’s take a listen.

“I think the show reflects the reality where students as well as office workers have to constantly compete with others to survive. The story shows such competition in a fun and interesting way and it made me reflect on myself.”

“The contestants came back after all with a desire to make a big fortune. I think it reflected people’s desire for a huge fortune knowing that the reality is not going to change.”

“The show got me thinking, isn’t that the reality though? Society often crushes young people’s dreams and for them to avoid that, they come to believe that they have to be better and superior.

Viewers said,. the gaping inequality and fierce competition in reality allowed them to see themselves in the struggles of the desperate characters.
So let’s break down some of the numbers and see if that’s true.
First, crushing debt,.is the central theme of Squid Game.
The main protagonist Seong Gi-hoon was dragged into the game due to his debt of around 3-hundred-50-thousand U.S. dollars but there he meets 4-hundred-55 others who are facing a similar situation.

In South Korea, this is not so far from reality.
Household debt is surging, and has surpassed 1.5 trillion U.S. dollars as of the second quarter this year with the ratio of household debt to GDP standing at almost 99 percent.
South Korea also recently ranked fourth worst among major economies when it comes to relative poverty, indicating high income inequality in the country.
The percentage of people with an income below 50 percent of the median income came to 16.7 percent in 2018-19 according to the OECD.

I see and considering how Squid Game mesmerized the global audience, I guess such inequality is not only an issue for South Korea.
Is that possibly why the show is popular globally?

You’re right Conn-young.
One of the reasons why the whole world was attracted to the show is because inequality is a universal issue.

“Another reason for craze might be its sympathetic issues. Even though the series shows dark side of the society it is something that everywhere else in the world can relate. Squid Game shows how people of different backgrounds behave differently under extreme situation. and capitalistic competitive market.yet the society isn’t and your better than the game itself.”

“Inequality has gotten worse globally, starting from the U.S. and spreading to the rest of the world throughout 80s and 90s. Globalization spread after that with many people believing that such a concept would bring more wealth and happiness but it turned out to be the opposite.

This map shows wealth inequality by country using the Gini coefficient, which ranges from zero to one with a lower reading indicating better equality.
As you can see, more equal societies would have a purple color, but almost all countries are colored in reds and oranges.
This shows how inequality is prevalent across the world therefore explains how the global audience can relate to Squid Game.

South Korea’s recent global hits Parasite and Squid Game are both based on these kinds of societal issues. Can this be seen as a sign that the world could now better recognize inequality? And if it is, what role can this kind of cultural content play in society?

Well, it could be seen that the public are better aware of the issues, which could be the first step in making improvements.
Experts actually say that efforts to address various kinds of inequality are being put in place in different areas, one example being the digital tax.

“Recently, many leaders of the leading economies met to discuss digital tax. Changes in taxation for platform firms reflects such effortsand in that sense, those kinds of movies are having some positive roles.

He added that, contents mirroring social issues and harsh realities, could have an impact in bringing more positive changes to society.

Okay.
Thank you for your report today.

Thank you.