By: Josie Song '28
“Red light, green light.”
The scene of an ominous doll standing tall in front of a tree with two guards wearing pink jumpsuits by her sides has broken social media ever since the release of the popular Korean TV show, Squid Game. The concept of Squid Game - a survival show built around childhood Korean games - has captivated millions and become one of Netflix’s highest-grossing TV shows since its release.
Recently, three years after the first season aired, the much anticipated second season of the show was released on December 26, 2024. Immediately, millions of social media platforms commented or posted their opinions on the second season; whether positive or negative reviews, the show gained traction once again. Twenty years ago, before the explosive rise of Korean music and media, the idea of people around the globe being so eagerly fascinated by the next episode of a drama or the next album of a K-pop group was unimaginable.
Many of the games featured in Squid Game such as “ddakji” (a game played by trying to use a player’s paper tile to flip the other player's paper tile) and “gonggi” (a game of continuous precise throwing and catching) have gained popularity after the TV show. In reality, they’ve been staple childhood games since the Joseon period (1392-1910). Especially since games such as ddakji and gonggi were easily accessible and relatively cheap, the tradition of these games continued even after the Korean War when the country faced economic distress. Recently, at the ASU Lunar New Year event, Cate students were able to play some of these games for prizes.
Another Korean film that broke records was Bong Joon-Ho’s 2019 thriller-comedy, Parasite. The movie follows the wealthy Park and impoverished Kim family. Throughout the movie, the Kim family slowly starts to take up jobs for the Park family in the means of taking advantage of their wealth - just like a parasite. The movie ended up winning four Oscars, becoming the first Korean film to ever be honored with an Academy Award. Although the rise of popular Korean TV shows and movies such as Squid Game and Parasite has been greatly appreciated by many, there have been many brilliant Korean movies that have flown under the radar.
Before Korean media’s big break internationally, movies like Memories of Murder (2003) and Mother (2009) have been fan favorites for Koreans and audiences interested in the thriller/crime genre. Also directed by Bong Joon-ho, these scenes are riddled with twists and turns, making the audience question the true nature of the meaning behind the movies. Memories of Murder was based on a true crime mystery of detectives hunting down a killer that had taken place in Korea in 1986. The movie's most chilling aspect is that the actual killer had not been discovered until years after the movie was released. For those who enjoyed David Fincher’s Zodiac, this movie is for you.
Mother follows a mom residing with her 28-year-old mentally impaired son who is accused of murder. This chilling film follows a mother determined to go to any lengths necessary to seek justice for her accused child, leaving audiences in awe even today.
Although mainstream media mainly showcases recent hit TV shows such as Squid Game or movies like Parasite, diving a little deeper into Korean cinematography provides a lens into a wide variety of top-quality films waiting to be discovered. As director Bong Joon-ho stated at the Golden Globes, “Once you overcome the one-inch tall barrier of subtitles, you will be introduced to so many more amazing films.”
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