[Focus] The Hate-Stained 'Ojingeo Game': Why We Can't Watch It with a Smile

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Isul] "You know, right? These days, many women are also joining the military. The world we will live in from now on is one where men and women are equally equal."

Gihun (played by Lee Jung-jae), a gambling addict, hands a free gift to his daughter. When she unwraps the package, it reveals a toy gun. Flustered, he hurriedly makes an excuse to his daughter. This line appears in episode 1 of the Netflix original series Squid Game. It raises questions when combined with recent controversies. Unfortunately, this is just the beginning. Some critics argue that the distorted perceptions toward women, foreigners, and the elderly make the series feel unlike a work released in 2021, sparking controversy.

Squid Game is a Netflix series about participants risking their lives to become the final winner in a mysterious survival game with a prize of 45.6 billion won. Directed and written by Hwang Dong-hyuk, who also made Silenced (2011) and The Fortress (2017), the production was handled by Hwang’s Siren Pictures. Actor Lee Jung-jae stars as the protagonist Gihun, with Park Hae-soo, Oh Young-soo, and Wi Ha-joon among the cast.

The series evokes Korean nostalgia by incorporating traditional children’s games such as Squid Game, Mugunghwa Flower Has Bloomed (a Korean version of "Red Light, Green Light"), tug of war, marbles, and ttakji (folded paper tile game). After its release, reactions have been mixed, with some finding the Korean cultural codes presented in a survival format interesting, while others find the melodramatic elements somewhat tedious.

Squid Game has become the center of controversy. Some have pointed out that the game format of "Mugunghwa Flower Has Bloomed," the costumes of the game hosts, and scenes where VIPs watch the games resemble many foreign films, leading to allegations of plagiarism. Additionally, depictions of foreign workers and the elderly have been criticized as distorted. The most significant issue is the director’s lack of gender sensitivity.

Even the character names are considered outdated, with Han Mi-nyeo (played by Kim Joo-ryung) being the most problematic. Her portrayal as a woman who seduces men and uses her body as a tool for survival reflects a thoroughly male-centric and flawed fantasy. This character is criticized for instilling a distorted perception of women, causing female viewers and audiences to turn away long ago.

In particular, the scene where Han Mi-nyeo hides cigarettes in her body has sparked online backlash, with some saying it is "too unpleasant to watch." The depiction of male characters sexually harassing Han Mi-nyeo without any critical awareness has also been met with disappointment. Until the end, the character has no significant twists or achievements and is reduced to only cursing in response to men’s harassment.

The portrayal of a woman who uses men and the justification of various mental and physical abuses inflicted on her expose the director’s distorted gender awareness.

The male character Deok-su (played by Heo Sung-tae), who opposes Han Mi-nyeo, is violent in both words and actions. The series is stained with misogyny, as he constantly uses derogatory language to belittle women. His line toward the North Korean defector female character Saebyeok (played by Jung Ho-yeon), "What are you, Yu Gwan-sun? Then go out and wave the Taegeukgi flag. Since you’re from North Korea, you should wave the North Korean flag," has been seriously criticized for belittling the Korean independence activist Yu Gwan-sun.

The setting strongly imprints the image of women as "the weak," and the graphic depiction of mutilating a woman’s corpse, along with unnecessary lines and scenes reminiscent of gang rape, is shocking.

In the latter part of the series, the scene where women with body paint are placed like furniture and used as tools by white men marks the peak of controversy. Squid Game has been criticized as outdated and stained with scenes and lines that sexualize and objectify women.

Many foreign contents that were released long ago and gained great popularity are already outdated. Perhaps due to an excessive awareness of this, the male director seems to forcibly insert provocative elements by consuming women as sexual objects in pursuit of sensationalism. The director’s distorted gender perception is also questionable. This is a regrettable aspect that diminishes the excellence of Hwang Dong-hyuk’s previous works.

The distorted perspective of Squid Game does not end there. The depiction of clumsy foreign workers and the elderly is also disappointing. Although the game host says, "Everyone is equal during the game," equality is not portrayed. The one-dimensional depiction that women and the elderly are disadvantaged because they are not strong is blatant, while some male characters devise clever plans to survive. This setting is inherently contradictory, making such controversies unavoidable.

At an earlier online press conference, director Hwang Dong-hyuk revealed, "Squid Game is a work I conceived from 2008. I completed the script in 2009, prepared for about a year, then put it back in the drawer," explaining that the series was created after long preparation.

Director Hwang, seemingly aware of the plagiarism allegations raised by some, said, "I know the movies and comics were released after that, so the similarities are coincidental, not because anyone copied. If anything, I am the original." If he had been developing the scenario for 10 years, shouldn’t a better work have emerged? It would have been appropriate to remove problematic elements and adapt the characters flexibly to the changing times.

If the director wanted to convey a message through "satire," and if that message was truly important, shouldn’t it have been a proper satire that helps the majority understand without sacrificing minorities labeled as weak? Through "satire," not "hatred."

A work cannot be released to the world by the director’s direction alone. Of course, the script and direction are most important, but the final product is completed through the hands of various production and distribution personnel during post-production. Squid Game must have gone through this process as well. It is even more regrettable if these issues were not recognized despite previewing the series.

The actors did their part. Lee Jung-jae’s acting challenge is impressive, and Lee Byung-hun and Wi Ha-joon fill the screen with strong presence. However, some criticize that the acting of certain actors, including Jung Ho-yeon, is awkward and disrupts the flow of the story.

Can those who have become targets of hatred watch Squid Game with a smile? What may be consumed as entertainment by some could be a survival-related fear for others.

Photo = Netflix