“Squid Game”: Netflix Asia Pacific Director Minyoung Kim interprets the secret of success of the series

In July this year, this site published a report “Why does Netflix value the Korean Drama Market so much?“.

The article started by quoting Eun-hee Kim, the screenwriter of “The Kingdom”, “Netflix never expresses any opinions, it only gives money.”

But this sentence hides the second half of the sentence: After giving creative freedom, the work handed over becomes popular before there is a steady stream of input.

The Korean drama “Squid Game” launched in September of this year has become the most popular original drama in the history of Netflix with 111 million viewers. This seems to prove that Netflix’s “spending money” is worthwhile.

Related Post: The record-setting “Squid Game” cost only $21 million in investment.

Recently, Minyoung Kim, who was originally the content director of Netflix Korea, was promoted to the content director of Asia Pacific.

In an interview with the “Hollywood Reporter”, she said, “My ambition is to show the world the strong production capabilities of Korea.

Korean content has always been popular in Asia, but people always think that Korean dramas are the love of handsome guys and beautiful women-advertised Korean dramas as romantic dramas.

But there are many outstanding stories besides this genre, and the output value of Korean dramas and movies has always been high. “

In addition, Minyoung Kim also analyzed the reasons for the global popularity of “Squid Game”.

The difference between “Squid Game” and the movies “Battle Royale” and “The Hunger Games”, the relationship with the Oscar best film “Parasite”, and the development progress of the second season.

Related Post: “Squid Games” confirms the second season: the main character returns, the game world has just begun!

The following is an excerpt from the interview:

1.”Squid Game” became popular all over the world because the rules of the game are simple enough

Why is this series popular worldwide.

Minyoung Kim believes that the rules of the game chosen by one of the directors are very simple, which is one of the keys to the drama’s international reputation.

Second, the appearance and scheduling of the series are also very attractive, with many memorable sections that can make the audience recollect and create topics.

Third, the essence of this drama lies in the criticism of social injustice-class differentiation and wealth inequality, and even gender inequality.

These social problems not only exist in South Korea-the whole world is fighting against it, and these elements have caused the drama to arouse strong repercussions outside of South Korea.

2.”Squid Game” and “Gisaengchung” focus on the gap between rich and poor

I was asked about the similarities and differences between this drama and the previous Oscar-winning “Gisaengchung”.

Minyoung Kim said that the two are very different types, and the common point is that they touch the social dilemma of class differentiation.

In addition, both stories are told in a very attractive and entertaining way.

She believes that while the story is advancing, it is not easy to convey profound information in a very interesting way.

3.”Squid Game” is not a teenager like “Battle Royale”

Minyoung Kim also stated that “Squid Game” is not a story for teenagers compared to the two major survival games of “Battle Royale” and “The Hunger Games”.

Every character in the play is showing his true colors, both ugly and heartwarming moments.

And the characters with distinctive personality are perfectly matched with the pre-set game elements.

4.The title of the episode almost gave up being called “Squid Game” The ojingeo in “Squid Game” in Korean is a real children’s game.

But not everyone in South Korea knows it, and the younger generation is relatively new to this game.

The producers were worried that the title of “Squid Game” would not resonate with people, so they used “Round Six” as the title.

Finally, director Huang Dong Hyuk suggested to restore the title of “Squid Game” because this is a unique drama and this game is its essence.

The title “Squid Game”, coupled with eye-catching artistic elements, really captured the user’s interest.

Especially for those who have never watched Korean dramas but want to find interesting audiences.

Not sure whether to shoot the second season

As for whether the second season will be developed, Minyoung Kim did not give a positive answer.

She said: “In the second season, we are still in dialogue with the director and producer, and hope to provide you with a reply soon. So everything is still under discussion, but when you think about it, this drama has only been broadcast for less than a month. .”

Earlier, director Hwang Dong Hyeuk said that he would not shoot the second season of “Squid Game”.

But this play has already made history, and who knows what’s next.

Related Post: The director of “Squid Game” hits back at NBA star James: If you are not satisfied with the ending, you can shoot your own sequel.