Characters in the Squid Game are named after the creator’s childhood friends

Hwang Dong-hyuk, the creator of Squid Game, claims that the show’s characters are named after friends from his childhood.

Squid Game has now been named Netflix’s most-watched original show of all time, beating all expectations. The South Korean survival drama follows Seong Gi-hun, who, after collecting a mountain of debt, enters a money-making competition he has no knowledge of. 456 others in similar financial situations join Seong Gi-hun, with the promise of a prize of 45.6 billion Korean won if they participate and win all six games.

The game swiftly takes a dark turn as competitors discover that losing a game comes with a death penalty.

Creator’s childhood friends

The show’s creator, Hwang Dong-hyuk, had a finished script in 2008, but it took over ten years for Netflix to approve it. Squid Game is a global phenomenon that was shot over a five-month period in 2020 and published last month, bringing its outstanding cast members into the spotlight. Actors Lee Jung-jae plays Seong Gi-hun, Park Hae-soo plays Cho Sang-woo, O Yeong-su plays Oh Il-nam, and model HoYeon Jung plays Kang Sae-byeok in her first acting role.

Creator Hwang Dong-hyuk revealed in a recent interview with THR that he drew on many aspects of his personal life for Squid Game, confessing that some of the characters are named after people he knows.

Hwang Dong-companions hyuk’s Seong Gi-hun, Cho Sang-woo, and Il-Nam, as well as police officer Hwang Jun-ho and the competition’s Front Man, Hwang In-ho, are all real-life brothers known to the Squid Game creator.

Also, it appears that these individuals were unaware that their names were being used in the show until it was broadcast.

Brutal versions of childhood games

Hwang Dong-use hyuk’s of his childhood friends’ names in a show where the players must perform brutal versions of childhood games is almost creepy, but perhaps this relationship is what helped Hwang generate the emotion in these scenes.

Despite its futuristic setting, Squid Game is clearly inspired by real-life stories, with the question “how far would you go for money?” at the center of the story. Hwang also said that he had faced financial difficulties in the past and that this was one of the factors that prompted him to consider the show.