Hwang Dong-hyuk, the creator of Squid Game, has been open about the intense pressures that came with filming the first series—so much so that he lost eight or nine teeth during production. As the world eagerly awaits the second season of the dystopian Netflix thriller, Hwang reflects on the journey from the initial success to the new challenges he now faces.
In a candid conversation, Hwang admits that the idea of a second season wasn’t always on his mind. At one point, he swore off continuing the story. However, financial necessity ultimately swayed him. Despite the massive success of the first season, he reveals that he didn’t make much from it. “Money,” he laughs, was a big factor in his decision. “The second season will help compensate me for the success of the first one.”
The first season of Squid Game—Netflix’s most successful show at the time—catapulted South Korean television into the global spotlight. Its dark exploration of wealth inequality resonated with viewers worldwide, but with many characters already killed off, Hwang found himself starting from scratch for the second season. New characters, new games, and heightened expectations have made the pressure on Hwang even greater this time around.
“The stress I feel now is much greater,” Hwang says, acknowledging the world’s bleak state. He points to ongoing wars, climate change, and the ever-expanding wealth gap, which he believes are now playing out in a broader, more complex context. “We’re in an era of us vs them. Who’s right and who’s wrong?”
On the set of Squid Game, the changes in the new season are already apparent. One significant shift is in the gameplay itself. Previous winner Gi-hun re-enters the game with the aim of taking it down and saving new contestants. In this series, after every game, contestants must choose between two sides—red or blue. This decision forces them to choose between survival or continuing in a deadly contest. Hwang believes this mechanic will highlight the growing tribalism in today’s world, where people are increasingly forced to pick sides.
Though Squid Game has been critiqued for its brutal violence, Hwang defends it as a deliberate artistic choice. “When making this series, I constantly asked myself, ‘Do we humans have what it takes to steer the world off this downhill path?’ Honestly, I don’t know,” he says. While the series may not offer answers, it does promise to address lingering questions, like the true origins of the game and the motivations behind the mysterious masked Front Man. Actor Lee Byung-hun, who plays the Front Man, teased that his character’s backstory would be explored more in-depth, shedding light on his choices—though it’s unlikely to make him more sympathetic to viewers.
The show’s success has also brought attention to South Korea’s film and television industry, with Netflix’s massive investment in the region leading to global recognition but also dissatisfaction among creators. Many argue that the streaming giant’s model, which demands creators relinquish copyright ownership, is unfair, leaving them without a share of the significant profits their work generates. Hwang himself struggled financially before Netflix took on Squid Game, and while he has gained fame, he’s still grappling with the disparity between success and pay.
South Korean creators, including Hwang, are now pushing for changes to the country’s copyright laws, which they argue do not adequately protect creators’ rights. This issue is exacerbated by the lack of profits from international streaming deals, which do not follow traditional compensation models like box-office sales or TV reruns.
Despite his financial struggles, Hwang’s transparency about his own experience may spark change. However, as the second season of Squid Game nears release, he admits his stress hasn’t lessened. “I haven’t seen my dentist yet,” he jokes, “but I’ll probably have to pull out a few more very soon.”
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