5 shocking facts you didn’t know about ‘Squid Game’

'Squid Game' final season is all set to release on Netflix on June 27, 2025, and we bet you cannot keep calm. The global sensation 'Squid Game', initially released in 2021, didn’t just captivate audiences with its violent challenges and social drama; it also masked deeper, chilling truths woven into its story. Over the years, the show has been in the news for more reasons than one. As the final season drops, here are five lesser-known facts about the show and cast that are sure to leave you gaping!

5 shocking facts about ‘Squid Game’

Inspired by real events

Our protagonist Gi‑Hun isn’t purely fictional. Creator Hwang Dong‑hyuk drew inspiration from the 2009 SsangYong Motor layoffs, where over 2,600 workers, nearly half the company, were abruptly dismissed. He used Gi‑Hun’s sudden unemployment after 16 years as a direct reflection of this real economic collapse

Based on a real story

The eerie resemblance between the Squid Game Island and Brother’s Home, an internment camp off Busan, is more than a coincidence. In the 1970s–80s, it housed vagrants who were forcibly abducted and used as labourers, earning comparisons to Auschwitz. At the real-life Brother’s Home camp, inmates wore blue tracksuits, rubber shoes, and nylon underwear eerily similar to Squid Game’s costumes. Reports revealed that guards conducted brutal drills dubbed “games,” including one called “The Motor Vehicle Game,” which, like the show’s deadly contests, tragically resulted in numerous deaths.

Maybe this was the reason the story kept getting rejected multiple times for almost a decade.

O Yeong‑Su aka Player 001 convicted of sexual assault

Actor O Yeong‑Su, who portrayed Player 001 (Il‑Nam), made headlines off‑screen. In 2022, he was convicted of sexual misconduct, receiving an eight‑month suspended sentence for offences dating back to five years.

Other cast controversies

Several principal cast members, including Lee Byung‑Hun, Lee Jung‑Jae, and Lee Jin‑Wook, had past scandals, ranging from DUIs and cheating allegations to sexual harassment. Their involvement sparked debate about accountability and redemption in the public eye.

The ‘Green Light, Red Light’ doll exists in real life

That giant girl doll in “Red Light, Green Light”? She’s based on a 1970s–80s school textbook figure. One sits in a museum in Jincheon County, South Korea, the actual inspiration visitors can view today!

The third season's final parts will be released on Netflix. The third and final season will feature Lee Jung-jae, Lee Byung-hun, Wi Ha-joon, Park Sung-hoon, Kang Ha-neul, Kang Ae-shim, Park Gyu-young, Yang Dong-geun, Jo Yu-ri and Roh Jae-won.