How to Understand Squid Game Well... Foreign Media Explains 'Seoul National University', 'Kkanbu'

Netflix Original Drama 'Squid Game'
[Photo by Netflix]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hwang Sumi] A foreign media article explaining how to better understand the content of the Netflix original drama 'Squid Game' has become a hot topic.

On the 22nd (local time), the American daily newspaper The Washington Post (WP) published an article titled "Decoding the Hidden Language and Signals of Squid Game for Non-Koreans" on its homepage.

The article introduced scenes from the drama one by one, explaining the special meanings that characters' names, backgrounds, and forms of address between characters hold in Korean society. It pointed out aspects that are difficult to understand easily through subtitles alone without a good knowledge of Korean society and culture.

The article cited the names of characters 'Han Mi-nyeo' and 'Oh Il-nam' as examples. While foreign viewers may not immediately notice, Korean viewers can partially grasp the characteristics of these characters from the names 'Mi-nyeo' (meaning "beautiful woman") and 'Il-nam' (meaning "first son").

There was also an explanation about Sang-woo, who is portrayed as the pride of Ssangmun-dong and is set to have attended Seoul National University. The article stated that Ssangmun-dong and Seoul National University symbolize, respectively, an ordinary working-class neighborhood and a stepping stone to success.

The article further explained the special meaning of the status of foreign workers in Korean society and the significance of the form of address "hyung" (older brother) through the process where Ali, who calls people around her "sajangnim" (boss), comes to call Sang-woo "hyung."

There are also explanations about 'dalgona' and 'kkangbu' featured in Squid Game. These help WP readers better understand Korean culture, which may be unfamiliar to non-Koreans, enabling them to enjoy Squid Game more fully.

Meanwhile, this article was written by Michelle Ye Hee Lee, a Korean-American journalist serving as the bureau chief of WP's Tokyo bureau. She was born in Seoul and currently serves as the president of the Asian American Journalists Association.

Michelle Ye Hee Lee has made efforts to incorporate Asian American perspectives into mainstream American media, including in-depth reporting on the Atlanta shooting last year, in which eight people, including four Korean women, were killed.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.