“Squid Game 2” Sparks Major Controversy In Vietnam, Authorities Step In To Review If It Broke Film Laws
The second season of Netflix‘s global hit K-Drama, Squid Game, has gotten into hot waters with Vietnamese viewers.
According to the Vietnamese news outlet Lao Dong on Monday, the Vietnam Cinema Department, which oversees films released in the country, was reviewing the K-Drama to determine whether it had violated film laws. The controversy involves the character of Dae Ho (participant No. 388), played by actor Kang Ha Neul.
In the show, Dae Ho shares his family’s military history, revealing that his father was a Vietnam War veteran. Another contestant responds, “Your father must be an honorable man.” This exchange has sparked anger among many Vietnamese viewers who feel that Squid Game 2 is trying to glorify South Korean soldiers who served in the Vietnam War.
Vietnam liberated itself from the foreign invaders, who included 350,000 South Korean mercenary soldiers dispatched at US request.
"'Squid Game' faces boycott in Vietnam over controversial Vietnam War dialogue." https://t.co/YvI850eT3z
— Tim Shorrock (@TimothyS) January 7, 2025
Korean dramas have tried multiple times to twist the narrative their way when it comes to history. They just did that on squid game 2 talking about the vietnamese war, acting like they were the good people while in actuality were the cruelest intruder we’ve ever had
— jnd (@callmejnd) January 5, 2025
“My dad once participated in the Vietnam war”
“Your dad is cool”
“Yeah”
Korean soldiers brutally murdered thousand of Vietnamese ppl even the CHILDREN and that is what you called “cool”? Squid game is so shit i’m sorry pic.twitter.com/dqO7qsR5Nm— lan (@hhlan227) December 29, 2024
According to Lao Dong’s report, viewers have called for a boycott of Squid Game 2 and have demanded that Netflix Vietnam reevaluate the show. Some have even called for its removal. The outrage has prompted the Vietnam Cinema Department to undertake a probe, and based on its findings, the show could actually end up being removed from the platform.
This wouldn’t be the first time for a K-Drama to face backlash in Vietnam. tvN‘s 2022 drama Little Women was removed from Netflix Vietnam after it was accused of distorting history and violating local laws. The source of the controversy was dialogues that claimed South Korean soldiers were capable of killing 20 Viet Cong soldiers and portrayed them as the heroes of the Vietnam War.
