Hwang Dong-hyuk, the creator of Netflix's global phenomenon Squid Game, has been set apart from his era in terms of storytelling. For over two decades, he has dealt with themes of social justice, identity, and economic struggle.
Hwang has a reputation for hard work. It is even said that he lost "eight or nine teeth" because of too much tension while making Squid Game, as told to BBC, in 2024. The unique concept made Squid Game one of Netflix's most streamed shows.
Hwang is now gearing up for its much-awaited Season 2. He returns to his heavy, promising storytelling world, focusing on class differences and human struggles. Below, we look at Hwang's journey, important works, and the cultural effect that has made him one of the most important directors today.
Squid Game director Hwang Dong-hyuk's childhood and influences
Hwang was born in Seoul, South Korea on May 26, 1971. He grew up with a love for manga and manhwa (South Korean comics) and spent time in comic book cafes. All of this has paid off in how he tells stories, especially in the interest of darker social themes.
He graduated from Seoul National University with a degree in Communications. He attended the University of Southern California. There, he received his Master of Fine Arts in Film Production. This helped him imbue his movies with social messages, which became an important area of his later work.
Reflecting on his early motivations, Hwang noted,
“I took up filmmaking because I was so frustrated by all these unresolved social issues I saw.”
His work often aims to show unfair systems, encouraging people to think and talk about social issues.
Director Hwang Dong-hyuk's work before Squid Game
Hwang's first film, Silenced (2011), was one of South Korea's most influential films, exposing extreme abuse in a school for the deaf and generating a national outcry. Silenced delineates actual events of horrors perpetrated on young students as well as the negligence of the authorities towards them.
The film proved extremely successful, raking in an audience of 4.7 million viewers. This brought the attention of the Korean government to reopen the case. This opened up changes in laws, like the "Dogani Bill." It got rid of a time limit for prosecuting s*x crimes against minors and other disabled people.
In 2014, Hwang shifted to a lighter genre with Miss Granny, a comedy-drama of a 74-year-old woman who turns back into her 20-year-old self. While not as dramatic, it still presented Hwang's efficacy in blending comedy with family themes that would touch hearts.
He deliberately went with his decision to move to comedy and Hwang said that he wants to show people his fun side. The film did very well, it got more than 8.65 million tickets sold in South Korea.
Hwang Dong-hyuk's Squid Game is a global phenomenon
It was an idea Hwang had as far back as 2008. The money issues he faced and what he thought he was seeing about the spread of inequality inspired his project. Though several studios rebuffed his idea, he found a partner in Netflix in 2019 when the latter wanted to add more foreign content.
Released on September 17, 2021, Squid Game quickly became Netflix’s most popular series ever, reaching over 111 million viewers worldwide.
The show connected strongly with viewers, who understood its themes of money problems and hopelessness. Hwang said that Squid Game looked at “the human desperation that comes with financial ruin,” which many viewers thought was relevant during the global pandemic.
This ensured Squid Game received many accolades, and Hwang also took home an Emmy for Outstanding Direction. He is the first South Korean director to win this prestigious award. Season 2 drops on December 26, 2024. Fans can expect a greater unfold of the characters involved: the wicked Front Man not being any less.
People will learn more about the Front Man's past, according to actor Lee Byung-hun. He added that viewers might not empathize with him, but they will get a better sense of his decisions, as repeated by the BBC.
Hwang, on the other hand, joked about production pressures, saying that he may need to "pull out a few more teeth very soon" from the pressure.
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You can watch Squid Game on Netflix.
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