Here’s Why Squid Game Season 2 Is Facing Backlash in Vietnam

Netflix’s global hit K-drama, Squid Game season 2, has gotten into hot water with the Vietnamese audience. The popular web series is facing backlash over a particular dialogue exchanged between characters in one of the episodes. This has sparked massive social media outrage, with viewers criticising the makers of the show for misrepresenting the country’s history.

Meanwhile, on Monday, the Vietnamese state media outlet Lao Dong reported that the Culture Ministry’s Cinema Department is reviewing the second season of Squid Game to see whether it violates the law or not. The department stated, “If it is concluded that the series violates regulations, we will handle the matter in accordance with the law.”

What Is The Controversy?

The controversy arose from a dialogue involving a contestant named Kang Dae-Ho (Player 388), portrayed by actor Kang Ha-Neul. He discusses his family’s military history, stating, “My father wanted me to become a real man, so he sent me to the Marines. My father was a Vietnam War veteran.” In response, other contestants say, “Your father must be an honourable man.”

This dialogue irked Vietnamese viewers, who accused the show of glorifying South Korean soldiers’ involvement in the Vietnam War. Many viewers found the exchange insensitive, feeling that it downplays the war’s atrocities.

Reacting to the controversy on social media, one user wrote, “It’s wrong to portray Korean Vietnam War veterans as honourable figures,” while another stated, “South Korea demands apologies and reparations from Japan for colonial rule but boasts about its military involvement in Vietnam. This is a double standard.”

Meanwhile, viewers are demanding that Netflix Vietnam re-examine the series, with some even calling for its removal from the platform. Now, the show’s faith in Vietnam depends on the Cinema Department’s findings.