Keys to the disturbing series "The Squid Game" 1:02
(CNN) -
If you've watched the hit Netflix series "The Squid Game," innocent children's games like tug of war and red light, green light, can take on a whole new meaning.
For its creator Hwang Dong-hyuk, they were part of his childhood in South Korea.
"All of us have played these simple, childish games at some point," he told CNN.
Among the ones Hwang played as a child was the "squid game," a team game in which attackers made their way through a squid-shaped area, with defenders trying to stop them.
"It was very physically demanding, so every time we played someone got injured, ripped their clothes or cried," he said.
"It would always be the last game of the day."
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"Having grown up to be an adult, the question 'what would it be like to go back and play those childhood games again?'
it was the beginning of the creation of the entire series. "
Released in September, "The Squid Game," about indebted contestants battling in a series of deadly children's games, is currently on its way to becoming Netflix's most popular show, having reached number one in 90 countries, including the US. USA
For Hwang, the show's narrative reflects the "competitive society" we live in today.
"This is a story about losers," he said - those who struggle with the challenges of everyday life and fall behind, while "winners level up."
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It is also a personal story.
The two main characters, Seong Gi-hun and Cho Sang-woo, are named after his old friends, and he calls them his "inner clones".
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On the show, contestants take part in a series of deadly childhood games.
Credit: YOUNGKYU PARK / NETFLIX
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"They represent my two sides. Like Gi-hun, I was raised by a single mother in a financially distressed environment in Ssangmun-dong," he explained.
"At the same time, as Sang-woo, I went to Seoul National University and my entire neighborhood praised me and had high expectations of me."
Producing the show was an intense experience, and Hwang lost six teeth while filming due to stress.
But it has not completely taken away the idea of doing a second season.
"Writing, producing and directing a series alone was really a big task. When I think about doing the same for the second season, personally I am a little concerned," he said.
"Nothing is confirmed at the moment, but a lot of people are excited that I'm really looking at it."
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