Squid Game is a Korean TV show by Hwang Dong Hyuk that aired on Netflix in September of 2021 that took the world by storm. It was a Battle Royal where 456 players fought to the death through a series of children’s games. It revolves around Seong Gi-hun, player 456, who won the game, and 45.6 billion South Korean won.
The entire season highlights the class inequality that most modern economies face. Modern capitalism has extreme competition, just like the intense competition where people fight for their lives. The players are so desperate for a better lifestyle than they are willing to play a game where they have almost no chance at winning the jackpot, risking their lives on the line. When the player wins the prize money, they can pay off their debt and live comfortably. But, as seen with a dramatic twist at the end, Gi-hun did not even touch the money he won. He was so disturbed by the dramatic squid game he had to endure that he did not touch his money, revealing a theme that money does not create happiness. He still had so many problems regarding his family and overall satisfaction that money could not solve. Another critical theme was class inequality. There is a growing income gap throughout the world, and South Korea has the fastest-growing gap globally. Also, there is a rapidly growing household debt in South Korea, giving inspiration to the show. The colors throughout the show reveal some of the economic problems. The VIPs and the game show host were in black and other flamboyant costumes. The contestants were wearing green, which announced their status.
Overall, there were a lot of class inequalities revealed throughout the show. In our society, many people deal with wealth problems because of the economic systems around the world. The writers want the audience to remember this show when seeing excess poverty and the growing income gaps across the globe.