Is Squid Game based on a true story? Hwang Dong-hyuk talks inspiration

Seong Gi-hun (Lee Jung-jae) survived the traumatic ordeal once, but returns to the dreaded facility once again in the hopes of shutting it down for good – which proves to be a lot more difficult than he imagined.

Squid Game creator Hwang Dong-hyuk has been quite open about what inspired the hit series, which has broken viewership records on Netflix, revealing that real sociopolitical issues were an influencing factor.

However, fans of the show should be wary of the misinformation currently circling online, with accounts on TikTok sharing AI-generated images of the "real Squid Game" and connecting the show to a real South Korean tragedy.

Below, you can find information about the false claims regarding the Squid Game true story and Hwang Dong-hyuk's quotes on the real-life incidents that sparked his imagination when writing the series.

Is Squid Game based on a true story?

Fans can rest easy – while gameshows are certainly getting more elaborate, there have been no real-life cases of contestants forced to compete in deadly editions of childhood games.

Creator Hwang Dong-hyuk previously said that he drew his inspiration from Japanese manga and anime.

"I freely admit that I've had great inspiration from Japanese comics and animation over the years," he told Variety. "When I started, I was in financial straits myself and spent much time in cafes reading comics including Battle Royale and Liar Game.

"I came to wonder how I'd feel if I took part in the games myself. But I found the games too complex, and for my own work focused instead on using kids' games."

The playground games featured include marbles, tug of war, hopscotch and Red Light, Green Light, which are chilling riffs on those enjoyed by children all over the world.

As for the show's broader themes of survival, Dong-hyuk was inspired by his own financial struggles and wanted to write an allegory about modern capitalist society and the competition it encourages.

He explained: "I wanted to write a story that was an allegory or fable about modern capitalist society, something that depicts an extreme competition, somewhat like the extreme competition of life. But I wanted it to use the kind of characters we've all met in real life.

"As a survival game it is entertainment and human drama," continued Hwang. "The games portrayed are extremely simple and easy to understand. That allows viewers to focus on the characters, rather than being distracted by trying to interpret the rules."

One element of Squid Game that was inspired by a real incident is the backstory of lead protagonist Seong Gi-hun (Lee Jung-jae), who fell into debt after losing his job amid a strike at an automobile factory called Dragon Motors.

Dong-hyuk revealed Gi-hun's struggle was inspired by the real-life organisation Ssangyong Motor Company, which announced a massive lay-off of over 2,600 workers back in 2009, which then led to a 77-day strike.

He explained to AFP: "Through the reference to the SsangYong Motor lay-offs, I wanted to show that any ordinary middle-class person in the world we live in today can fall to the bottom of the economic ladder overnight."

In general, Squid Game could be considered ripped from the headlines to some extent, as South Korea is currently in the midst of a crushing personal debt crisis which is reflected by the show's 456 players – each of whom is in a dire predicament.

When season 1 launched, Lee In-cheol of the Real Good Economic Research Institute said (via The Guardian): "The total amount of debt run up by ordinary South Koreans exceeds GDP by 5 percent.

"In individual terms, it means that even if you saved every single penny you earned for an entire year, you would still be unable to repay your debt. And the number of people with debt problems is rising at an exponential rate."

Is Squid Game based on the Brothers' Home atrocities?

No, Squid Game is not based on the human rights abuses that allegedly took place at Brothers' Home.

Since the release of Squid Game season 2, viewers have drawn connections between the Netflix series and the notorious internment camp – but creator Hwang Dong-hyuk has never made any suggestion that it inspired the show.

Brothers' Home operated at peak capacity in the 1970s and '80s, presenting itself as a detention and rehabilitation centre for so-called "vagrants", then-described in South Korean law as "beggars, gum sellers, or street hustlers who, without a fixed residence... harasses passersby by begging or forcefully selling items".

In reality, authorities reportedly sent a wide range of individuals to Brothers' Home, including employed citizens, children left briefly unattended, orphans and others, where they lived in inhumane conditions and allegedly suffered extreme physical and sexual abuse.

Comparisons have been drawn due to the uniformed inmates of Brothers' Home, the crowded dormitories they inhabit and the brutality claimed to have occurred between guards and inmates, who were organised into military-style "platoons".

However, there are also vast differences between the disturbing Brothers' Home and the plot of Squid Game, including the forced labour that survivors have alleged, and the lack of any competitive element or monetary reward for their immense suffering.

In short, Squid Game is not a dramatisation of the Brothers' Home scandal.

Are the "real Squid Game" pictures on TikTok real or AI generated?

The viral pictures of the "real Squid Game" going viral on TikTok are AI generated.

Images appearing to show the inside of a dilapidated facility, with walls painted in child-like pastel colours, have gone viral on social media platforms, with some users claiming them as evidence that Squid Game is a true story.

However, this is misinformation. The images are AI generated and were initially shared online in October 2024, more than two months before season 2 premiered, by Instagram user @CityHermitAI.

What is a Squid Game in Korea?

Squid Game is a popular children's game in Korea.

A variation of tag, Squid Game works much the same way as seen in the show, and is played on a board drawn in the ground that resembles the shape of a squid.

Players are then split into two teams, with one attacking and one defending. Attackers can only hop until they reach the waist of the squid, and win by tapping the squid's head with their foot.

It is then up to the defenders to stop the attackers from advancing, and can achieve victory by pushing them outside of the court's boundaries.

However there is one important difference between the real-life game and the show's portrayal – as one would hope, players usually aren't armed with knives while taking part.

The second challenge, in which contestants have to pick a stamped shape out of a honeycomb snack, is also based on a Korean tradition. The snack in question is called Dalgona, and Korean children often attempt to eat the embossed shape without snapping the treat.

Speaking about how the game served as the inspiration behind Squid Game's title and climactic final challenge, Dong-hyuk previously told RadioTimes.com: "Squid Game is a game I used to play as a child in the schoolyard or the streets of the neighbourhood. This is a story about people who used to play this game as children and return to play it as adults.

"It was one of the most physical and it was also one of my favourite games. I felt that this game could be the most symbolic children’s game that could represent the kind of society we live in today."

Squid Game seasons 1-2 are available to stream on Netflix.

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