The global hit "Squid Game" directed by Hwang Dong-hyuk, shows violence and exhibits economic, cultural, and behavioral issues that play a vital role in each game of do-or-die, wherein players persist in playing despite the occurrence of the majority's fatality. It depicts one's way of living, may it be the approach in interaction, psychological effects of the state of wealth, building relationships, shattering one, or thriving to achieve victory for greater means.
The first scene that shows one of the cultural kid games of South Korea, Squid Game, is captivating because of the intensified tone, monochromatic effect, and visualization of the game. It is fascinating how the show anchored the game played by the kids without leaving cultural background behind that leaves a mark on the viewers, which are significant evidence of influence made by the show which dominated world charts. However, the audience might not picture these games the way they were before; they became more lethal and intensified the players' grit to tolerate violence in exchange for the money prize amounting proportional to the counts of fatal consequences, which illustrates narcissism. These could lead to traumatic memory or psychological impact on children who play the game and watch the series. Nonetheless, the condemnation regarding the violence is not much focused on because the show highlighted the inhumane behavior caused by desperation to celebrate triumph and wealthy living, yet they are not the ones who stand at last. In addition, I now primarily invest in how the show represents more of South Korea's culture, such as the discrimination among women, inequality, capitalism, insufficient labor income among migrants, and igniting desire to achieve victory.
It is also inevitable to applaud the little details of the series that tackle the macro issues of society such as cultural diversity, inequality, and microeconomics. Players were chosen according to their lack of wealth and willingness to assent in strange agreements because of the desperation to fill their needs, resulting in an urge to participate in a series of matches with unknowable consequences. The suggestion of these circumstances is a representation of civil life in a society of capitalistic culture. The series impactful illustrations resonate with the viewers’ perspective regarding socio-economic and cultural factors affecting one's capabilities.
Economics is not just present within the series, but it also exists in the physical world. The series became Netflix's number one hit, dominated world charts, and became a worldwide trend. Due to its global success, Squid Game has also touched on other industries' success like fashion, advertising, and soft power. The players' uniform: green jumpsuit and a pair of white shoes that resembles Vans' reported that the sale rose to 7,800% since the series debuted. With this economic data, the demand is higher, so the production should likewise increase, resulting in more labor and growth of economic activity. Viewers became invested in seeing more of the characters in real life. Jung Ho-Yeon, who played the role of Sae-Byeok, is very eyed by advertising agencies and companies because of her undeniable great enactment and appeal in the series. Many companies and small businesses are expected to have Squid Game fans to be their target market by providing merchandise, Squid Game-inspired products, or simply having the characters as ambassadors. In addition, South Korea's economic growth is improving despite the pandemic because of the production of quality entertainment appreciated by consumers worldwide
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Written by: Romuel Sulit
Layout and Design by: Simon Estanislao
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