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What North Korea is Saying About Squid Game
No spoilers included.
Everyone has been talking about Squid Game, the runaway success which officially became Netflix’s biggest ever series launch on Tuesday. Following the news, North Korea entered the chat.
Squid Game is notable for introducing us to a cast with unexpectedly rich and diverse backgrounds. Among them, fan favourite Sae-byuk is a refugee from North Korea, where her recaptured mother hopes for another shot at rescue, while her younger brother waits restlessly in a South Korean children’s home. Sae-byuk’s singular motivation for participating in the game is to gather her family once again after the struggle of displacement and tragedy.
The North Korean constitution declares that leaving one’s country is a crime punishable by death. That’s the reason North Koreans refugees are occasionally called by a different name. Defectors — “a person who has abandoned their country or cause in favor of an opposing one.”
Having interacted with North Koreans, North Korean culture, and history for most of my career, I was instantly curious to hear North Korea’s official take on this representation.
Contrary to expectation, I’ve found that North Korea is usually super invested in the world’s current affairs and popular culture, especially regarding media…
