'Squid Game 2' stars Kang Ha-neul (left) and Lee Seo-hwan (Player 390). Photo: Handout
Squid Game 2, a dystopian drama in which hopeless people compete for survival by playing Korean children’s games, is facing backlash from Vietnamese audiences over a remark on the Vietnam War (1955 to 1975).
The controversial scene features Dae-ho (played by South Korean actor Kang Ha-neul) explaining his background to Jung-bae (played by actor Lee Seo-hwan), a senior Marine Corps officer he encounters during the deadly games.
When Jung-bae comments, “Your family sent its only son to the Marine Corps? You must have been a precious child”, Dae-ho replies: “My father sent me to toughen me up. He was a Vietnam War veteran.”
Jung-bae then responds: “Your father must be an honourable man.”
The dialogue has sparked criticism among Vietnamese viewers, who argue that praising South Korean soldiers as “honourable” for their involvement in the Vietnam War is inappropriate. Some have even called for a boycott of the series, demanding that the show be banned in Vietnam.
The series has topped Netflix’s streaming charts globally.
Vietnam Plus, a Vietnamese media outlet, reported that the Vietnamese video regulatory authority would be reviewing the case.
“We will provide an official response after careful review and evaluation,” the media outlet quoted an official as saying. “If Squid Game 2 has violated the law, we will handle it in accordance with the law.”
The Vietnam War saw South Korea deploy about 320,000 troops at the request of the United States. From the Vietnamese perspective, the South Korean military is often seen as an external force that intervened in their civil war.
Squid Game 2 is not the first South Korean series to spark controversy in Vietnam over references to the Vietnam War.
In 2022, tvN drama Little Women was removed from Netflix Vietnam after the series was alleged to have distorted events of the Vietnam War.
The controversy arose around a war veteran from South Korea, who was depicted as a soldier that fought in the Vietnam War and described as having earned “military merit”. This statement provoked a strong backlash from Vietnamese audiences.
Although South Korean shows in the past have stirred controversy over historical issues, Little Women was the first to be removed from Netflix. According to the streaming platform, the decision to pull Little Women from Netflix Vietnam came after a request from the Vietnamese government. – The Kore Herald/Asia News Network
