Warning: Some SPOILERS lie ahead for Squid Game season 2!
Season 2 of Netflix’s hit Korean survival thriller, response to Squid Game season 2 has not been as overwhelming as season 1’s unprecedented international embrace, reviews for the show’s second season are still largely positive.
Per The Korea Times, however, one particular moment in Squid Game season 2 has prompted serious backlash in Vietnam, with the matter ultimately being referred to the country’s authorities for review. The issue in question relates to the show’s references to the Vietnam War, with many viewers accusing the show of glorifying the participation of South Korean soldiers in the conflict and “whitewash[ing] the atrocities” that had been committed. According to Vietnamese state media outlet Lao Dong, the Vietnam Cinema Department is reviewing whether season 2 conflicts with the nation’s film laws. The department has stated:
If it is concluded that the series violates regulations, we will handle the matter in accordance with the law.
What Has Prompted The Squid Game Season 2 Controversy
South Korea & Vietnam Share A Complex History
This latest controversy is not the first time that Squid Game season 2 has found itself the subject of criticism. The casting of a cisgender male actor as the trans woman character Hyun-ju has also led to online backlash. The show's unflinching brutality is another major issue that has alienated it from some audiences, though that criticism was also attached to the critically acclaimed season 1 and is unlikely to change. However, this latest controversy stems from the personal history of player 388, Dae-ho (played by Kang Ha-neul), and the way his character’s father is described.
What’s Up With Dae-ho In Squid Game Season 2 (Is He Really A Marine?)
Dae-ho, who claims he is a Marine, is one of the most controversial and mysterious new characters in Squid Game season 2.
During season 2, episode 5 “One More Game”, Lee Jung-jae’s Gi-hun and his team celebrate their victory in the second game and begin to share more about their lives. When Jung-bae asks why Dae-ho was sent to the Marines when he was the only son in his family, he explains that it was his father’s idea, because he “wanted me to become a real man.” Dae-ho also explains that his father was a veteran of the Vietnam War, to which Jung-bae replies, “Your father must be an honorable man.”
This is simply a major misstep that could see an entire country lose access to the show.
It was this exchange that prompted the ongoing backlash among many Vietnamese viewers, who felt the dialogue glorified the participation of South Korean soldiers during the Vietnam War. Moreover, some emerging online commentary has accused South Korea of promoting double standards. The Korea Times report highlights online various comments to emerge from Vietnamese viewers, including one that states, “South Korea demands apologies and reparations from Japan for colonial rule but boasts about its military involvement in Vietnam.” The alleged hypocrisy is becoming a major point of disapproval, especially in the face of Squid Game's themes.
What Are The Implications For Squid Game Season 3
It Will Need To Walk Carefully Going Forward
Squid Game season 3 is already confirmed and should be coming quickly in 2025 since it was filmed back to back. However, this major controversy could mean that the show needs to take time to recover and retool to better suit its international audience. Few shows have ever become breakout successes as quickly as Squid Game has, and its sensitive narrative has undoubtedly bred discontent in multiple senses.
Squid Game was previously censored in China, though it maintained a strong viewership there through pirating.
The show has never been afraid to critique society. Season 1 briefly tackled the exploitation of poverty, with the VIPs being entertained by the players' sufferings and profiting from their deaths. This is quite a sharp critique of the modern world, which could be perceived as problematic and increase the risk of a content ban. If Squid Game's terrifying games continue to be broadcast worldwide, the creative team has to be careful with the dialogue since language barriers could distort the message. Otherwise, this would risk Netflix's potential to expand the series with rumors of an American version being made by David Fincher.
Our Take On Squid Game's Controversy
Netflix Has Already Experienced Issues With Korean Content In Vietnam
The monumental success of Squid Game season 1 was a major step forward for the promotion of non-English content on the international stage. However, given the vastly complex and sometimes delicate nature of relationships between nations, the expectations and cultural viewpoints of one nation’s entertainment exports are not always well received by others. When those shared histories also involve armed conflict, it inevitably becomes exponentially more difficult to navigate such an exchange without issue.
This is not the first time that Korean-produced dramas have been met with opposition from Vietnamese audiences concerning their handling of the Vietnam War. In 2022, Netflix was also forced to take down the Korean drama Little Women for a similar reason. It was still available in other countries while it was fully isolated from the Vietnamese market. Whether the Vietnam Cinema Department will make a similar ruling for Squid Game season 2 remains to be seen, but the issue serves to highlight the often delicate nature of exporting entertainment products on a worldwide stage.
Source: The Korea Times
Squid Game
- Release Date
- 2021 - 2025-00-00
- Network
- Netflix
- Showrunner
- Hwang Dong-hyuk
Cast
Lee Jung-jaeSeong Gi-hun / 'No. 456'
Jeon Young-sooGame Guide
WHERE TO WATCH
Squid Game is a South Korean series released in 2021 about financially struggling individuals who are invited to participate in a series of children's games. The competition offers a lucrative prize but comes with perilous consequences, as the players soon discover the lethal stakes involved in each round.
- Directors
- Hwang Dong-hyuk
- Writers
- Hwang Dong-hyuk
- Seasons
- 3
- Streaming Service(s)
- Netflix
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