FALSE: Squid Game based on 1986 true story

Following the release of Squid Game Season 3, viral posts on social media claim the show is based on a real-life incident. One widely shared story states that in 1986, people were held in a bunker in “no man’s land” where they were forced to participate in deadly games to survive. These posts further suggest that the “hosts with inhuman-like thoughts” were never identified or caught.

CLAIM: Squid Game was based on a real story in 1986.

CONCLUSION: The series Squid Game is not based on the alleged 1986 story or any real historical events. While it explores themes of economic disparity and survival, it remains a work of fiction created to critique the harsh realities of capitalism.

As the show’s writer-director Hwang Dong-hyuk explained in an interview with Variety, “I wanted to write a story that was an allegory or fable about modern capitalist society, something that depicts an extreme competition, somewhat like the extreme competition of life.”

While Squid Game has sparked intense speculation about its origins, a widely circulated claim that the show is based on a 1986 incident involving hostages in an underground bunker has been proven to be false.

There is no verified documentation or credible reports supporting this story. Additionally, the supposed “No Man’s Land” referenced in these posts remains vague, with some speculating it could refer to the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) between North and South Korea. However, no factual basis supports this connection.

Furthermore, the photos circulating online once believed to depict real Squid Game locations, have been confirmed as AI-generated by the artist who created them.

Some fans claim Squid Game is based on the real-life events at Brothers' Home, a South Korean concentration camp. However, this theory is not backed by historical facts.

From 1976 to 1987, Brothers' Home in Busan served as a forced labor camp under President Chun Doo-hwan's regime. Originally intended as an orphanage, it became a site of inhumane abuse, where the homeless, poor, and children were detained, tortured, raped, and killed. 

Operating under Ordinance No. 410, which aimed to "purify the streets" in preparation for the 1986 Asian Games and the 1988 Olympics, the subjected victims, including children as young as 13, to daily rape and brutal labor. Survivors recall relentless suffering with no way out.

While Squid Game centers on fictional characters competing in deadly games for wealth, it is vastly different from the real-life horrors of the Brothers' Home. Victims at Brothers' Home endured relentless abuse and exploitation with no choice or reward, unlike in Squid Game, where survival is tied to a potential reward.

Although Squid Game is not directly based on Brothers’ Home or any singular historical event, the series is undeniably shaped by real-world socio-economic issues.

Creator Hwang Dong-hyuk has drawn inspiration from multiple sources, including the violent labor unrest of the 2009 Ssangyong Motor strikes. These strikes, which followed the mass layoffs of over 2,600 workers, led to violent clashes between employees and riot police, highlighting the vulnerabilities of workers in a capitalist system. 

Hwang confirmed that the story of Squid Game’s protagonist, Gi-hun, losing his job was inspired by this labor conflict. Additionally, Hwang’s personal financial struggles and his love for Japanese comics like Battle Royale and Liar Game influenced his approach to the series. His goal was to craft an allegory for modern capitalist society, using simple children’s games as a metaphor for the extreme competition of life.