[Interview] 'Ojingeo Game' Director: "No Intent of Plagiarism or Misogyny, Apologies for Phone Number Exposure"

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Isul] Unlike the heated response overseas, "Ojingeo Game" (Squid Game) received mixed reactions domestically, with plagiarism allegations and controversies over misogyny dividing opinions. Some users even reported harm due to the inclusion of actual phone numbers and bank account numbers. The director has spoken out about the various controversies.

Director Hwang Dong-hyuk said in a non-face-to-face interview on the morning of the 28th for the Netflix series "Ojingeo Game," “I wanted to create a work that people of all ages and genders around the world would enjoy,” adding, “There was no intention to demean women.”

"Ojingeo Game" is a Netflix series about participants in a mysterious survival game with a prize of 45.6 billion won, risking their lives to become the final winner by challenging extreme games. Directed and written by Hwang Dong-hyuk, who also made "Dogani" (2011) and "The Fortress" (2017), the series has been in development since 2008. Lee Jung-jae and Park Hae-soo play Gi-hun and Sang-woo, who are pushed to the edge of society and join the game. Oh Young-soo, Jung Ho-yeon, and others participate in the life-or-death survival game.

Released on Netflix on the 17th, "Ojingeo Game" has received a warm response overseas. However, domestically, it has drawn criticism for melodrama, and perceived derogatory portrayals of women, the elderly, and foreigners, leading to divided opinions. Regarding the contrasting domestic and international reactions, Director Hwang said, “I wanted to create a work that everyone worldwide, regardless of age or gender, would enjoy.”

He added, “Regarding the negative domestic reactions, I thought, ‘You can’t please everyone.’ I’m grateful that overseas there were many positive responses and people who understood the intention.”

Some criticized the lack of gender sensitivity, pointing to the character Han Mi-nyeo using her body as a commodity and the objectification of women through body printing. There were also comments that key female characters like Kang Sae-byeok were used as tools for male characters’ awakening, which was disappointing. Director Hwang said, “I have seen those reactions. Han Mi-nyeo was meant to show that a person in an extreme situation can do anything. I saw it as behavior that can appear in extreme circumstances.”

He explained, “There was no intention to demean or hate women. I saw it as human behavior in the worst situations.”

Regarding the controversial scene in the final episode, Director Hwang said, “I wanted to show how far humans can be disregarded.” He added, “Not all the people with the VIPs are women; there is one man and one woman standing like tools. Saying women were objectified is not appropriate.”

There were also criticisms that the games, such as ddakji (Korean paper tile game), marbles, and tug-of-war, borrowed from childhood games, and that the overall design evoked nostalgia mainly for middle-aged men, showing limitations. Director Hwang said, “I just used many elements I remember from the 70s and 80s,” adding, “I focused on universal memories like scholarship quizzes and eggs with soda. I don’t think I focused on middle-aged men.”

He continued, “I considered including games like gomu-jul (rubber band jumping) or gonggi-nori (a traditional Korean game played mostly by girls), which favor women, but I thought they would reduce the tension. I wanted to explain the game rules easily to a global audience. For example, explaining gonggi-nori rules simply was difficult. Because the target was global, I ended up explaining simple games.”

When asked about plagiarism allegations due to similarities with several works including the Japanese film "As the Gods Will," he clarified two differences: “’Ojingeo Game’ is a work that focuses more on people than the games. The games are very difficult and complex, but I chose simple games that anyone, regardless of age or gender, can understand. The time to grasp the games is short so viewers can focus on emotions. It’s not about crowning a single hero as the winner but telling the story of losers. Gi-hun barely moves forward with the help of others.”

After the release, a user whose phone number appeared on a business card in the series reported suffering from hundreds of calls a day. Director Hwang apologized, saying, “I didn’t expect that. During production, I was told it was a non-existent or safe number, so I thought it was a fax number. The production team probably didn’t expect the automatic addition of the 010 prefix. I’m sorry we didn’t check thoroughly until the end. The production team is working to resolve the issue.”

The bank account number shown belonged to a member of the production team. The director said, “The directing team decided to use the bank account number of one of the staff,” laughing, “He keeps receiving 456 won deposits.” He added, “Although we agreed to use it, we decided to close the account.”

Although "Ojingeo Game" ended with a clear hint at season 2, Director Hwang neither confirmed nor denied it. When asked about production, he said, “No comment,” adding, “There are many considerations to make. We left multiple options open and finished, but it’s not easy to say anything. I will also think about the story.”

Photo = Netflix