Is Squid Game based on a true story? The real-life tragedy behind Netflix’s hit show

While Netflix’s Squid Game may be a fictional survival drama packed with deadly children’s games and societal critique, its emotional core is grounded in reality. With the show’s third and final season dropping on June 27, viewers might be surprised to learn that protagon Seong Gi-hun’s story was inspired a real and violent chapter in South Korean labor hory: the 2009 Ssangyong Motor Strike. Netflix’s Squid Game is not based on a true story but is inspired the 2009 Ssangyong Motor Strike, reflecting South Korea’s labor hory. REUTERS/Kim Soo-hyeon(REUTERS) Creator of the show, Hwang Dong-hyuk, in an interview with The New York Times, explained why the show resonated globally. Dong-hyuk told the publication that they had touched something in the zeitge. He said they touched on the sense of crisis weighing heavily on people, which made them relate to Gi-hun. Also Read: ‘Stop, stop, stop’: Beyoncé reacts as prop car tilts mid-air during Houston concert What was the Ssangyong Motor Strike?According to a People report, in 2009, Chinese automaker SAIC, which was then the majority stakeholder in South Korea’s Ssangyong Motor Company, filed for bankruptcy. In the wake of this collapse, the company announced mass layoffs, including the termination of nearly 1,000 workers at the company’s Pyeongtaek plant. In response to the mass layoffs, the workers staged a 77-day sit-in, one of the fiercest labor confrontations in the recent hory of Seoul. The strike ended with a brutal police crackdown involving rubber bullets, tasers, and a water shutoff. According to the People report, many workers lost their livelihoods, and in the years that followed, over 40 employees or family members died, several suicide, due to economic hardships and societal exclusion. Also Read: Squid Game Season 3 ending: Final deaths, surprising winner and shocking plot tw How did it inspire Squid Game?Reportedly, Hwang directly drew from these events. In the first season of Squid Game, Gi-hun is revealed to have lost his job after a violent strike at a fictional car company, Dragon Motors—a nod to Ssangyong, which translates to “double dragon.” Reportedly, Episode 5 even depicted the police assault, reflecting the real-life suppression of protesting workers. Former Ssangyong union leader Lee Chang-kun, who was part of the actual strike, expressed mixed emotions about the show’s popularity. The People report quoted Lee as saying that he felt the story of the workers was reduced to a commodity. He lamented that despite the international attention to the ordeal, it did not translate into meaningful labor reform. Though the strike offered a narrative foundation, Hwang has explicitly pointed to Japanese manga like Battle Royale and Liar Game as significant influences on the narrative. Yet the stark reality of contemporary economic disparity is ultimately the series’s more potent message, the People report added. ALSO READ: Creator Hwang Dong-hyuk reveals details about Squid Game Season 3: ‘It’s not always a happy ending’ FAQsWas anyone pregnant in Squid Game 2?As of season 2, no main character is confirmed to be pregnant. What does the Squid Game 3 ending mean?Season 3 ends with Gi-hun confronting the system, raising questions about whether change is possible from within a corrupt structure. Will there be a season 4 of Squid Game?No. Season 3 marks the final chapter of the main series, according to creator Hwang Dong-hyuk. Did Squid Game end?Yes, Squid Game officially ends with season 3. Will Squid Game have a spin-off?No spin-off is confirmed, but Netflix hasn’t ruled out future projects related to the Squid Game universe. Is Squid Game over?Yes, the original story concludes with season 3, bringing Gi-hun’s arc to an end.