The 5 Harrowing Real-Life Events That Prove 'Squid Game' Is More Than Just Fiction

The question of whether Squid Game is based on a true story has captivated millions since the show's explosive 2021 debut, and the answer is far more chilling than a simple yes or no. As of late 2025, while no actual death game exists with a $38 million cash prize, the dystopian thriller is profoundly rooted in the violent, desperate, and often overlooked realities of modern South Korean society and global capitalism. Creator Hwang Dong-hyuk didn't invent the desperation; he simply packaged existing systemic cruelty into a series of deadly children's games.

The show's power lies in its authentic portrayal of financial desperation, a pervasive issue that drives hundreds of real-life individuals to the brink. The series functions as a brutal social commentary, using the fictionalized violence of the games to reflect the very real, slow-motion violence of economic inequality and the crushing weight of debt that forces people into unimaginable choices. The true story isn't a secret bunker; it's the daily struggle of the working class.

Hwang Dong-hyuk's Real-Life Biography and The Genesis of Desperation

Director and writer Hwang Dong-hyuk is the visionary behind the global phenomenon, and his own life and observations provided the raw material for the series. Born in Seoul, South Korea, Hwang is a celebrated filmmaker known for socially conscious works like Silenced (2011) and Miss Granny (2014). He first conceived of Squid Game in 2008, a period following the 2008 Global Financial Crisis, when he himself was struggling financially and reading Japanese survival manga like Battle Royale and Liar Game.

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The initial pitch was rejected by studios for over a decade, deemed "too grotesque and unrealistic." However, as the gap between the rich and poor widened globally, the concept became terrifyingly relevant. Hwang's personal struggle with debt and his deep understanding of Korean economic disparity are the true biographical elements that fuel the show's narrative engine. He used his art to criticize the very system that nearly broke him.

Key Biographical Entities:

• Full Name: Hwang Dong-hyuk
• Born: May 26, 1971 (Seoul, South Korea)
• Education: Seoul National University (B.A. in Communications), University of Southern California (M.F.A. in Film Production)
• Notable Works: Silenced (2011), Miss Granny (2014), The Fortress (2017), Squid Game (2021)
• Inspiration Period: Conceived in 2008 amidst personal financial hardship and the global economic crisis.

1. The Ssangyong Motor Strikes: Gi-hun's Backstory is a True Tragedy

The most direct and harrowing real-life event that inspired a major character's backstory is the 2009 Ssangyong Motor strike. The main protagonist, Seong Gi-hun (Player 456), is a laid-off worker from a fictional car manufacturer. This detail is a direct reference to the violent labor dispute that took place in Pyeongtaek, South Korea.

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In 2009, Ssangyong Motor announced massive layoffs, leading to a 77-day strike where workers occupied the factory. The conflict escalated into a violent confrontation between the striking workers, riot police, and company-hired mercenaries. The scenes of Gi-hun’s traumatic memory—where a colleague is killed during a violent protest—are a fictionalized but emotionally accurate depiction of the real-life violence and subsequent psychological trauma experienced by the Ssangyong workers. This event highlights the systemic brutality against the working class fighting for their livelihoods in Korean society.

2. The Plight of Migrant Workers: The True Story of Ali Abdul

The character of Ali Abdul (Player 199), the kind-hearted Pakistani migrant worker, is another entity directly inspired by real-world issues of racial discrimination and labor exploitation in South Korea. Creator Hwang Dong-hyuk has stated that Ali's story—being cheated out of his wages by his employer—was inspired by his own observations and experiences with the systemic injustices faced by migrant workers.

Migrant workers often take on the most dangerous and low-paying jobs and are frequently subject to wage theft, poor working conditions, and a lack of legal protection. Ali’s desperation to support his family back home is a reality for thousands of foreign laborers whose reliance on their employers makes them vulnerable to exploitation, a form of economic violence that mirrors the lethal games. The betrayal Ali faces in the marble game is a metaphorical representation of the broken promises and systemic failures that plague the lives of real migrant workers.

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3. South Korea’s Crushing Household Debt Crisis

The entire premise of Squid Game is built on the foundation of overwhelming debt. Every player, from Gi-hun to Kang Sae-byeok (Player 067), is drowning in financial ruin, making the game's deadly risk a seemingly rational choice. This is a powerful reflection of South Korea's actual household debt crisis, which is among the highest in the developed world.

The country’s rapid economic growth, known as the "Miracle on the Han River," created extreme economic inequality. Millions of Koreans, particularly the younger generation and small business owners, are trapped by soaring housing prices, stagnant wages, and predatory lending practices. The show’s players are a microcosm of a society where financial desperation has become a national epidemic, forcing citizens into high-risk ventures or, in the show's case, a deadly competition. The social commentary is clear: the system itself is a rigged game where the poor are always the losers.

4. The Dystopian Reality of "VIPs" and Global Class Warfare

The introduction of the "VIPs," the bored, wealthy global elite who watch the games for entertainment, is perhaps the most pointed social commentary of all. While they are fictional, they represent the true-life phenomenon of the global 1% who view the struggles of the poor as a spectacle or, worse, an inevitable consequence of a free market.

The VIPs symbolize the extreme detachment and moral corruption that wealth can breed, where human life is reduced to a commodity. This plot point is a brutal critique of capitalism critique and class warfare, suggesting that the wealthy not only benefit from the systemic exploitation of the poor but actively enjoy watching them destroy each other in a desperate bid for survival. The VIPs are the unseen hands of power, the true architects of the 'game' of life for the financially desperate.

5. The Nostalgia for Childhood Games and Lost Innocence

The use of traditional Korean children's games—like Red Light, Green Light, Dalgona (Honeycomb), Marbles, and the titular Squid Game—serves a deeper, more heartbreaking purpose than simple nostalgia. These games represent a time of innocence and equality, where the rules were fair and the stakes were low. By turning them into deadly contests, Hwang Dong-hyuk highlights the loss of that innocence in a hyper-competitive, capitalist society.

The games juxtapose the simple, communal past with the brutal, individualistic present. The players are forced to betray the very spirit of fair play and friendship that these games once represented. This thematic element is a true story of Korean society’s transformation, where the traditional values of community have been sacrificed on the altar of relentless economic competition and financial desperation. The irony is that the only way to win the game is to become the most ruthless version of yourself, completely abandoning the values of the childhood world the games are meant to evoke.

Conclusion: The True Story is the Social Crisis

Ultimately, the answer to "Is Squid Game based on a true story?" is a resounding "Yes," but not in the literal sense of a secret death tournament. The true story is the one unfolding in South Korea and across the globe: a story of crushing debt, extreme economic inequality, labor exploitation, and a system that treats the poor as disposable.

The show is a powerful dystopian thriller that uses fiction to expose a horrifying reality. The 456 players are not just characters; they are embodiments of the millions suffering under the weight of modern capitalism. By focusing on the Ssangyong Motor strikes, the plight of migrant workers like Ali Abdul, and the pervasive debt crisis, Hwang Dong-hyuk has crafted a work of art that is less a fantasy and more a mirror reflecting the violence of our own society. The most terrifying part of Squid Game is how true its underlying message remains in late 2025.