Unveiling the Reality of Squid Game’s Alleged 1986 True Story and the Brothers’ Home Connection

The intense and alarming competition depicted in Squid Game has sparked speculation among viewers regarding its connection to real-life events. Some enthusiasts postulate that this globally acclaimed series may draw inspiration from a purported incident in 1986 associated with a facility known as The Brothers’ Home.

Following the sensational success of its inaugural season, Squid Game Season 2 has made waves since its release on Netflix in December, breaking new streaming records and captivating audiences worldwide. In this latest chapter, Seong Gi-hun, known as Player 456 and played by Lee Jung-jae, is thrust back into the harrowing games that pit debt-ridden players against each other as they vie for a substantial cash prize.

The conclusion of the second season leaves viewers on the edge of their seats, setting the stage for an anticipated Season 3. While the show remains an electrifying experience, the darker undertones of the narrative have reignited interest in the alleged real-life events behind its premise. **Caution: the subject matter may be distressing for some viewers.**

The Alleged 1986 Origin of Squid Game

There are rumors floating around the internet suggesting that Squid Game is, in fact, inspired by a supposed 1986 incident where hostages were imprisoned in a bunker in a place referred to as “No Man’s Land.”However, these claims lack substantiation.

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Currently, there are no credible sources or documentation validating this narrative, and the term “No Man’s Land”lacks specificity in its context. Many rumors suggest it refers to The Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) between North and South Korea, a strip of land that has been a point of contention since the Korean War.

Despite its lack of veracity, this narrative gained traction, particularly through a TikTok video by user blink_loveee10. In the video, the creator claimed that Squid Game was inspired by real events in an underground bunker, stating: “It took place in a bunker underground in no man’s land, where people were held hostage and had to complete several games to survive.”This video has amassed over 3.5 million views, although comments have been disabled.

The imagery presented in the video, which has prompted questions regarding its authenticity, actually stems from images related to a notorious facility known as Brothers’ Home.

The Brothers’ Home: A Haunting Reality

Unlike the fictional competition in Squid Game, the Brothers’ Home was a verifiable place—an internment camp that operated in Busan, South Korea, from 1976 to 1987. Despite being presented as a refuge for homeless individuals, it functioned as a site of distressing abuse, torment, and even murder.

Over 20 factories were operated at the concentration camp where even children were forced to work. Below are its child prisoners at their morning assembly. Sexual abuse of both children and disabled persons at the hands of ROK officials was rampant at the concentration camp. pic.twitter.com/tPIRicUi8O

— Nat 🇰🇵 (@NatalieRevolts) January 19, 2020

Dubbed “Korea’s Auschwitz”by media outlets, the facility was a manifestation of the oppressive regime prevalent at the time, particularly under Ordinance No. 410 aimed at “purifying”South Korean streets ahead of the 1988 Olympics. While the intention was to exhibit a polished image to the world, the Brothers’ Home instead became synonymous with some of the gravest human rights violations in the region.

Remarkably, a 1987 investigation revealed that only about 10% of the thousands housed at the camp were genuinely homeless. In a 2021 interview with Al Jazeera, Busan City Councilor Park Min-seong disclosed that individuals were kidnapped from the streets and incarcerated within the Brothers’ Home.

Min-seong, who supported a 2018 apology to survivors, recounted how the victims were ordinary people living their day-to-day lives. Many were just drinking or minding their business, including children.

Survivors of the camp have recounted harrowing narratives of starvation, exploitation, and forced labor at various factories within the facility—all experienced without any form of remuneration. Yeon Seng-mo, imprisoned at the age of 15, revealed that failure to meet daily quotas resulted in brutal punishments, stating, “we were beaten with baseball bats.”

Moreover, the camp’s hierarchy often compelled inmates to turn against one another, a dynamic highlighted by Min-seong. He shared chilling accounts like that of Hahn Jong-seon, who was only nine when he and his sister were seized. Jong-seon described witnessing a young boy viciously killed, a moment that has haunted him since.

Park Soon-hee, another survivor who escaped in 1986 at 17, reflected on her traumatic experiences, including the child she was made to relinquish after being raped by an authoritative figure at the camp.

Following her escape, she tragically gave birth to a child due to her abuse within the camp. “We were children with a bright future, but they threw that away,”she lamented.

An Associated Press investigation documented that leaders at the facility exploited children by sending them for international adoptions using falsified documents to benefit financially—even if their biological families still existed.

Despite the arrest of Park In-keun, the camp’s leader, in 1987, his punishment was minimal. He served only two and a half years for embezzlement and passed away in 2016 without facing accountability for the myriad human rights atrocities at Brothers’ Home.

Real Inspirations Behind Squid Game

While it remains unclear if any direct events truly inspired Squid Game, the show’s creator, Hwang Dong-hyuk, has acknowledged that aspects of Gi-hun’s character were influenced by the real-life 2009 Ssangyong strikes.

In May 2009, a mass layoff at the Ssangyong Motor Company led to a 77-day protest by laid-off workers. The striking employees clashed with riot police, who responded with overwhelming force, including tasers and tear gas. Union leader Lee Chang-kun explained the aftermath took a heavy toll on the workforce, leading to numerous suicides and significant psychological distress.

Post-release of Season 2, Dong-hyuk conveyed that Gi-hun’s narrative seeks to exemplify how an ordinary individual can experience a dramatic fall from socioeconomic stability in today’s society.

Now, both Seasons 1 and 2 of Squid Game are available for streaming on Netflix.

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