Apart from a major avenue of cultural export Netflix phenomena has exposed some of the appalling aspects of Korean culture leaving a mark in the process.
Fans worldwide watched the third and last season of the popular Netflix series “Squid Game” on Friday.
They have seen hundreds of competitors play lethal versions of kid-friendly games since 2021 in an effort to win a financial prize of 45.6 billion won, or about $33 million.
In South Korea, where the show is based, some fans were hoping for justice, but that didn’t come through.
Only a few hours after Friday night’s release
24-year-old Kim Young Eun, a Seoul university student, watched the entire season with her boyfriend at a comic book cafe just hours after it was released on Friday night. excitedly anticipating it for six months following the cliffhanger ending of Season 2.
She was sad that most of her favorite characters died, even if the show’s bullies, particularly the incredibly wealthy V.I.Ps who fund the games, survived. Ms. Kim said that the director seemed to be saying that good people don’t die.
Chun Taehyun, a university student from Seoul, said that he felt sorry for the gamers who had gambled away their savings or lost their money on bad investments because “Korean People choose to take chances and leaving positions that have historically been secure.
He thought it was a wonderful idea to use Squid Game as a glimpse into South Korea’s other side, aside from the stunning beauty of K-pop.
That was supposed to be one of the intentions, according to the creator of the series, Hwang Dong-hyuk. In an interview that was done in December before the provision of Season 2, he said that his goal was to ensure that the show is a mirror of what is currently happening.
The world is becoming increasingly extreme
He declared, “The world is getting more extreme.” Yoon Suk Yeol, the South Korean president at the time, proclaimed martial law and summoned troops to the National Assembly in December. The first season was released at the time of the global Covid-19 pandemic.)
The latest is a mere few days after South Korea has carried out a snap election and a new president was elected, putting months of political unrest – at least on hold.
The characters in “Squid Game” similarly mirror society. A transgender character, a pregnant young woman, and a bitcoin scammer were among the participants in Season 3.
On Saturday night, fans flocked to Seoul to say goodbye to the show as a “Squid Game” parade occupied Gwanghwamun, a significant downtown area. A spoof version of the notorious “Red Light, Green Light” game, a curtain call featuring the main cast, and a marching band of pink-suited soldiers were all part of the festivities.
After a parade, during the fan event, Mr. Hwang asserted the parade had been a heavy weight on his shoulders. He said, I feel liberated now, that I can now lay it down.
However, Netflix may not be ready to let it down just yet.
Los Angeles streets mark the conclusion of Season 3
As Season 3 ends on the streets of Los Angeles, Cate Blanchett makes a brief appearance playing ddakji, the Korean game used by the Squid Game organizers to recruit players. Despite a lot of speculation about a US version of the series, Netflix has not commented.
The show’s themes of capitalism and inequality, together with its excessive gore, helped popularize K-content. Due to the popularity of its first season, Netflix decided to fund it further, announcing in 2023 that it will invest $2.5 billion on Korean television series and films through 2027. According to experts, “Squid Game” increased foreign interest in other Korean cultural exports, such as food and cosmetics.
Netflix’s vice president of content for Asia, Minyoung Kim, said the initiative “opened up more global willingness for non-English language shows.”
“As a content executive or creative, you want a large number of people at home to watch your show. And it is great in case the show becomes global,” she said.
Both Ms. Kim and Mr. Hwang, the film’s director, believes Squid Game is a truly South Korean story. Even if it means revealing the shadowy side of society, they credit its success in part to its alignment with local ideals.
According to Professor Gyu Tag Lee, a cultural studies professor at George Mason University Korea, the program illustrates the importance placed on “academic classism and materialism.” In the country’s competitive society, “stepping on others to win” is often regarded as a fair game as long as people obey the rules, he said.
