Is ‘Squid Game’ Based on a True Story? Is It Real in Korea?

Picture this—a gripping TV show about desperate people risking everything in deadly children’s games for a massive cash prize takes the world by storm. That’s ‘Squid Game’, the South Korean hit that’s had us glued to our screens since it dropped on Netflix in 2021. At first glance, it feels like pure fiction, a wild dystopian tale cooked up by a creative mind. But as we dig deeper, there’s a question that keeps popping up—could something this brutal have a thread of truth behind it, especially in Korea?

I’ll admit, when I first watched ‘Squid Game’, I thought it was just a crazy story meant to shock and entertain. The idea of 456 cash-strapped players battling it out in a secret contest for billions of won sounds like something straight out of a sci-fi thriller. Yet, the more you think about it, the more it seems to echo real struggles—money troubles, class gaps, and a society where the stakes feel impossibly high. So, let’s break it down and see what’s real, what’s not, and how this show ties back to life in Korea.

The Fiction of ‘Squid Game’

Let’s get this straight—‘Squid Game’ isn’t based on a true story. It’s not like some secret death game happened in Korea that we’re only now hearing about. The show’s creator, Hwang Dong-hyuk, dreamed it up as a work of imagination, not a history lesson. He wrote the script back in 2009, inspired by his own financial hardships and the tough economic climate he saw around him. It sat on the shelf for years until Netflix gave it the green light in 2019, turning it into the global smash we know today.

That said, don’t go looking for a real island where people played Red Light, Green Light to the death. The setup—complete with masked guards, colorful sets, and a giant piggy bank of cash—is all made up. Hwang took a Korean kids’ game called ‘ojingeo’ (squid) and twisted it into something dark and thrilling. The show’s wild plot, from the Front Man’s schemes to the VIPs betting on lives, is pure drama, not a documentary. It’s fiction through and through, designed to keep us on edge.

Still, Hwang didn’t pull it all out of thin air. He’s said he wanted to shine a light on bigger issues, like how money and power mess with people’s lives. That’s where the line between make-believe and reality starts to blur—just not in the way some might think.

Real Issues in Korea Reflected

Here’s where it gets interesting—while ‘Squid Game’ isn’t a true story, it’s got its roots in some very real problems. Korea’s been wrestling with a debt crisis for years, with folks borrowing way more than they can pay back. The show’s characters, like Seong Gi-hun, a broke gambler, or Cho Sang-woo, a guy who tanked his career with bad investments, feel like people you could meet. Personal debt in South Korea has climbed past the country’s entire GDP, a stat that’s hard to ignore when you see players risking it all for a payout.

Then there’s the class divide. Korea’s got this reputation for fast growth and tech miracles, but not everyone’s riding that wave. The gap between the rich and the poor keeps growing, and competition—for jobs, schools, you name it—is fierce. Hwang himself has talked about this, saying he wanted the show to hit home not just in Korea but everywhere. The idea of desperate people pushed to extreme choices? That’s not just a Korean thing—it’s a global one, especially when you think about how the pandemic left so many struggling.

Think about Ali Abdul, the Pakistani migrant worker in the show. His story nods to how foreign workers in Korea often get treated—underpaid, overworked, and stuck on the edges of society. It’s not a one-to-one match with a real event, but it’s grounded in truth. The show takes these pieces of life and cranks them up to eleven, making you feel the weight of it all.

The Brothers’ Home Rumors

Now, let’s tackle a rumor that’s been floating around—some folks reckon ‘Squid Game’ was inspired by a place called Brothers’ Home. This was a real facility in South Korea back in the 1970s and ‘80s, meant to be a welfare center for the homeless and orphaned. In reality, it was a nightmare—people were snatched off the streets, forced into labor, and faced brutal abuse. The crowded dorms and uniformed inmates do sound a bit like the show’s setup, and it’s easy to see why people draw lines between them.

But here’s the catch—Hwang’s never said a word about Brothers’ Home being the spark for ‘Squid Game’. He’s pointed to his own life and broader social issues as the fuel, not this specific scandal. The similarities are more of a coincidence, or maybe a case of art accidentally mirroring history. Since season two came out in December 2024, the chatter’s picked up again, but without Hwang confirming it, we’re left with an eerie parallel, not a direct link. It’s a dark chapter in Korea’s past, sure, but it’s not the show’s origin story.

Reality TV Spins on ‘Squid Game’

Funny thing is, ‘Squid Game’ has started bleeding into real life in a different way. After it blew up, Netflix rolled out ‘Squid Game: The Challenge’ in 2023—a reality show with 456 players chasing a $4.56 million prize. No one’s dying, of course, but they’re playing games straight out of the series, like that creepy doll from Red Light, Green Light. It’s filmed in the UK, not Korea, and it’s all about the cash, not survival in the literal sense.

Other stuff’s popped up too. YouTube star MrBeast made his own version, and there’s a show called ‘Beast Games’ on Prime Video now. Even in Korea, they’ve got things like ‘Physical 100’, where people compete in tough challenges. These aren’t deadly, but they borrow that high-stakes vibe ‘Squid Game’ nailed. It’s wild to think a fake story sparked real contests—proof the show’s got a grip on us beyond just watching. Hwang’s tale might not be true, but it’s shaping reality in its own way.