5 Harrowing Real-Life Tragedies That Inspired Netflix's 'Squid Game'

The global phenomenon of 'Squid Game' has captivated millions with its brutal depiction of a survival game, prompting a chilling question that has circulated since its 2021 release: Was this dystopian nightmare actually based on a true story? As of December 10, 2025, the short answer remains a definitive no—the deadly tournament itself is a work of fiction. However, to understand the series' profound impact and its enduring relevance, one must look beyond the fictional violence to the very real, harrowing economic and social tragedies of South Korea that served as its foundational inspiration.

Creator Hwang Dong-hyuk meticulously blended pure fiction with authentic, deeply rooted societal struggles, turning the show into a powerful critique of extreme capitalism and class disparity. The desperation of characters like Seong Gi-hun and Kang Sae-byeok is not fabricated; it is a direct reflection of the crushing debt crisis, housing woes, and unforgiving economic landscape that many South Koreans have faced, a reality that hits "too close to home" for many viewers. The true story behind 'Squid Game' is not a single event, but a tapestry of national trauma, personal struggle, and historical violence.

The Architect of the Nightmare: Hwang Dong-hyuk's Biography and Core Inspirations

The entire premise of 'Squid Game' stems from the personal and professional struggles of its writer and director, Hwang Dong-hyuk. His own life story provides the most direct link to the show's desperate themes.

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• Full Name: Hwang Dong-hyuk (황동혁)
• Born: May 26, 1971, in Seoul, South Korea
• Education: Seoul National University (B.A. in Communications), University of Southern California (M.F.A. in Film Production)
• Early Struggles: Hwang conceived the idea for 'Squid Game' in 2008 while living with his mother and grandmother, struggling financially, and being forced to sell his laptop due to debt.
• Initial Scripting: He wrote the first draft of the script in 2009, but it was shelved for over a decade because investors and actors found the concept "too grotesque" and "unrealistic."
• Notable Works (Director/Writer): My Father (2007), Silenced (2011), Miss Granny (2014), The Fortress (2017), and Squid Game (2021).
• Core Inspiration: The show is a direct commentary on the class disparity in South Korea and the harsh realities of global capitalism, a theme he explored after reading Japanese survival manga like Battle Royale and Liar Game.

The Economic Crisis and Historical Violence That Fuelled the Script

While the games are fictional, the overwhelming debt and existential despair of the contestants are tragically real. The show’s narrative is deeply rooted in specific, painful moments in South Korean history.

1. The Ssangyong Motor Strike of 2009

The most direct real-world inspiration for a main character’s backstory comes from the violent Ssangyong Motor strike. Seong Gi-hun, the protagonist, is portrayed as a laid-off auto worker who participated in a violent labor strike—a clear parallel to the Ssangyong event.

• The Event: In 2009, Ssangyong Motor, a South Korean car manufacturer, announced massive layoffs following financial struggles.
• The Conflict: Workers occupied the factory for months in protest, leading to a deadly confrontation with police and hired security.
• The Aftermath: The resulting trauma, financial ruin, and social stigma experienced by the laid-off workers and their families directly inspired Gi-hun’s spiral into debt and his eventual choice to join the game.

2. South Korea’s Debt and Housing Crisis

The show's premise—desperate people wagering their lives to escape crushing debt—is a metaphor for the country's ongoing economic woes.

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• The Context: Following the 1997 Asian Financial Crisis, South Korea's economic success was built on a foundation of increasing personal and household debt.
• The Reality: In recent years, soaring housing prices, stagnant wages, and high unemployment rates for young people have created a generation struggling with inescapable debt, making the fictional game's prize money a terrifyingly appealing option.
• The Metaphor: The VIPs, who watch the games for entertainment, represent the global elite who profit from and remain indifferent to the struggles of the working class under a capitalist system.

3. The Plight of Migrant Workers and Racial Discrimination

The character Abdul Ali (Player 199), a Pakistani migrant worker, is another crucial entity inspired by a real-world social issue: the marginalization and exploitation of foreign workers in South Korea.

• Ali's Story: His story of being cheated out of his wages by his employer reflects the systemic issues of wage theft and workplace abuse faced by many non-native workers in the country.
• Hwang's Experience: Creator Hwang Dong-hyuk revealed that Ali's character was inspired by his own experiences witnessing racial discrimination against migrant workers.

The Dark Origins of the Children's Games and the "Brother's Home" Connection

The games themselves—simple, nostalgic children's pastimes—are juxtaposed with brutal violence, a technique that highlights the loss of innocence in a cutthroat society. All the games are based on real, traditional Korean games.

4. The Traditional Korean Games

The selection of games was intentional, chosen to evoke a sense of shared, painful nostalgia that everyone in the country would recognize.

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• Red Light, Green Light (Mugunghwa Kkoci Pieot Seumnida): A simple game of movement and freezing, its use in the show immediately establishes the life-or-death stakes.
• Dalgona (Ppopgi): The honeycomb candy challenge is a direct cultural reference, a street food game where successfully carving out a shape wins a prize—or, in the show, survival.
• Tug-of-War (Juldarigi): A traditional communal game often played during harvest festivals, its inclusion in the show highlights the necessity of cooperation in an individualistic, competitive world.
• Marbles (Gganbu): This game, which forces partners to betray each other, explores the concept of Gganbu—a term for a close-knit, inseparable relationship, underscoring the show's theme of trust and betrayal.
• The Squid Game: The final game is based on a rough-and-tumble children's game played on a squid-shaped board drawn in the dirt, which Hwang Dong-hyuk played as a child.

5. The Metaphorical Link to the Brother's Home Tragedy

While often unconfirmed by the creator, some analysts and viewers have drawn a metaphorical link between the 'Squid Game' facility and the horrific Brother's Home incident, a dark chapter in South Korean history.

• The Tragedy: The Brother's Home was a state-run facility in Busan, South Korea, from the 1970s to the 1980s. Thousands of people—including vagrants, disabled individuals, and children—were forcibly detained, subjected to forced labor, and systematically abused, with many dying there.
• The Connection: The idea of a closed, secretive facility where marginalized people are taken off the streets and forced into a system of exploitation and death resonates with the historical reality of the Brother's Home, suggesting a deeper, darker societal critique beneath the fictional plot.

In conclusion, while you won't find a historical record of a deadly 'Squid Game' tournament, its power lies in its unflinching reflection of the human cost of economic inequality. The true story is the desperation of the debtors, the trauma of the Ssangyong strikers, and the systemic issues that make the fictional prize money seem like the only viable escape. This sophisticated use of real-world pain is what cemented 'Squid Game' as a global cultural touchstone and a powerful piece of topical authority on the failures of modern capitalism.