a b Vourlias, Christopher (October 18, 2021). "In the Hunt for the Next 'Squid Game,' Industry Execs See 'Unlimited Potential' ". Variety. Archived from the original on October 25, 2021 . Retrieved October 18, 2021. a b Wi Geun-Woo (September 24, 2021). "중년 남성에 대한 연민에서만 일관적인, 마구잡이 서바이벌 '오징어게임' [위근우의 리플레이]"[The random survival 'squid game' consistent only with compassion for middle-aged men [Wee Geun-woo's replay]] (in Korean). Kyunghyang Shinmun. Archived from the original on September 29, 2021 . Retrieved September 29, 2021– via Naver.

Due to the popularity of Squid Game, Singapore's national newspaper The Straits Times named the show's director Hwang as The Straits Times Asian of the Year in December 2021. [122] Viewership [ edit ] Squid Game' director reacts to plagiarism accusations: 'Not applicable' ". www.thenews.com.pk. Archived from the original on October 19, 2021 . Retrieved October 19, 2021. a b Villei, Matt (October 9, 2021). "Watch: Go Behind-the-Scenes on Every Game in 'Squid Game' ". Collider. Archived from the original on October 9, 2021 . Retrieved October 11, 2021. a b Cho, EK (September 29, 2021). " 'Squid Game' Director Hwang Dong Hyuk Talks About Gi Hun's Red Hair, Possible Season 2 and Star-studded Cameos". Zapzee – Premier Korean Entertainment Magazine. Archived from the original on October 8, 2021 . Retrieved October 5, 2021.Bond, Kimberly (October 6, 2021). "All the clues hinting towards Squid Game's Old Man twist". Radio Times. Archived from the original on October 25, 2021 . Retrieved October 20, 2021. In January 2023, reports emerged that ambulances had been called to treat real life injuries sustained while filming the show. Netflix denied the severity of the reports stating that the injuries were mild medical conditions and that they care about the health and safety of the cast and crew. The local ambulance service also stated that it had not been called out to the studios recently. [226] [227] Britain's Health and Safety Executive evaluated the production after these complaints and found no actionable issues, though cautioned the production to be prepared for any future risks. [228]

a b c Sit, Jane; Kang, Liz (October 7, 2021). " 'Squid Game' director Hwang Dong-hyuk: 'This is a story about losers' ". CNN. Archived from the original on October 8, 2021 . Retrieved October 8, 2021. Lowry, Brian (October 5, 2021). " 'Squid Game' sets off a new game, trying to figure out why it took off on Netflix". CNN. Archived from the original on October 8, 2021 . Retrieved October 9, 2021. In the 2010s, Netflix had seen a large growth in viewership outside of North America, and started investing in productions in other regions, including Korea. [40] Ted Sarandos, co-CEO of Netflix, stated in 2018 that they were looking for more successes from overseas productions: "The exciting thing for me would be if the next Stranger Things came from outside America. Right now, historically, nothing of that scale has ever come from anywhere but Hollywood." [41] Netflix had opened up a division in Asia in 2018, and while they were still operating out of temporary leased office space in Seoul, Hwang brought his script to their attention. Kim Minyoung, one of Netflix's content officers for the Asian regions, recognized Hwang's talent from The Fortress and his other films, and upon seeing his script for Squid Game, knew they needed it for the service. Kim said "[W]e were looking for shows that were different from what's traditionally 'made it,' and Squid Game was exactly it". [42] Netflix formally announced in September 2019 they would produce Hwang's work as an original series. [39] [43] Netflix's Bela Bajaria, head of global television operations, said that of their interest in Hwang's work, "we knew it was going to be big in Korea because it had a well-regarded director with a bold vision", and that "K-Dramas also travel well across Asia". [40] Regarding his return to the project, Hwang commented, "It's a sad story. But the reason why I returned to the project is because the world 10 years from then has transformed to a place where these unbelievable survival stories are so fitting, and I found that this is the time when people will call these stories intriguing and realistic." [34] Hwang further believed that the COVID-19 pandemic impacted the economic disparity between classes in South Korea, and said that "All of these points made the story very realistic for people compared to a decade ago". [39] Kim, Nemo; McCurry, Justin (October 8, 2021). "Squid Game lays bare South Korea's real-life personal debt crisis". The Guardian. Archived from the original on October 25, 2021 . Retrieved October 23, 2021.A month after its release, "Squid Game" became the most-watched series on the platform and broke records by becoming the first foreign-language series, and first Korean series, to be nominated for a Screen Actors Guild (SAG) award. Watson, Fay (July 14, 2022). "Netflix unveils its 15 most-streamed shows of all time". GamesRadar. Archived from the original on July 14, 2022 . Retrieved July 15, 2022. Clark, Caitlyn (October 6, 2021). "Squid Game Is an Allegory of Capitalist Hell". Jacobin. Archived from the original on October 17, 2021 . Retrieved October 22, 2021. Ajello, Erin. "13 details you might have missed in 'Squid Game' ". Insider. Archived from the original on December 14, 2021 . Retrieved November 2, 2021. In the Philippines, a replica of the doll used in the episode one of the series was exhibited on Ortigas Avenue in Quezon City in September 2021. [94]

Lee Jung-jae as Seong Gi-hun (성기훈, [sʌŋ gi hun] ⓘ, 456), [7] a divorced chauffeur and gambling addict. He lives with his mother and struggles to support his daughter financially. He participates in the game to settle his many debts, and to prove himself financially stable enough to have custody of his daughter, who is to leave for the United States with her mother and stepfather. (seasons 1–2)

Gyu-lee, Lee (September 30, 2021). "As big as BTS: Squid Game director on why Netflix thriller's global success is not a surprise – 'the most Korean is the most universal' ". South China Morning Post. Archived from the original on October 2, 2021 . Retrieved October 3, 2021.