"Ring Time Depth" South Korean politics really staged the "squid game", US media: "National Power" seems to be playing another "5 billion game"

Source: Global Times

[Global Times reporter Ding Jieyun Global Times special correspondent in South Korea Zhang Jing] Following the South Korean movie "Parasite" in 2019, Netflix's original Korean drama "Squid Game" has recently once again triggered global topics. Although the content of this Korean drama is fictional, it profoundly exposes the inequality, disparity between rich and poor in Korean society, and arouses strong resonance in Korea and abroad. At the same time, the real "squid game" in South Korean politics, the presidential election next March, is also playing out. In early October, Lee Jae-myung (57), a former Gyeonggi governor with a clear label on the center-left within the ruling Common Democratic Party, unexpectedly managed to qualify in the party competition, shouting a universal basic income (UBI) slogan that seemed to coincide with the current South Korean people's pursuit of fairness. In the fierce competition of the general election, the explosion of "Squid Game" has also made it a powerful tool for politicians to discuss how to solve social problems and gain the advantage of votes.

South Korean politics relay play terrier

The title of "Squid Game" comes from a children's game similar to the advanced version of hopscotch, which tells the story of hundreds of people who are trapped in life and participate in 6 "life and death battle royale games" for a prize of 45.6 billion won (about 250 million yuan). Under the surface of children's games, its essence is a survival game - 456 marginalized people in Korean society, in desperation, are lured into the "life and death battle royale" chamber by mysterious organizations with huge prize money as bait. Although the ultimate prize money is as high as 45.6 billion won, the cost of getting the bonus and walking out of the chamber of secrets is the lives of the remaining 455 people. Just as you have to win every game in the show to challenge the next, so does the South Korean presidential election process. The fate of the presidential candidate is also as unpredictable as the characters in the play.

The presidential candidate for the largest opposition party, the National Force, has yet to be released, but the ruling Common Democratic Party confirmed Lee as the party's presidential candidate on Oct. 10. Some Korean media concluded that among Lee Jae-ming's many labels, "non-mainstream" is his most obvious label. Starting as a human rights lawyer, successively serving as mayor of Seongnam and governor of Gyeonggi Province, lee Jae-myung has always been "non-mainstream" in "yeouido (the seat of the Korean Parliament)" in "politics of Yeouido (the seat of the Korean Parliament)." Before winning the party election, there was a popular saying in South Korean politics: "There is no presidential candidate of the Common Democratic Party who is not from the National Assembly, which is why Lee Jae-myung cannot do it." But Lee broke the formula. If he wins next year's presidential election, it will be as shocking as Bernie Sanders' election as president of the United States.

The Washington Post said that with the international success of "Squid Game", several politicians, including Lee Jae-ming, used the drama's plot to attack competitors in an extremely cryptic way. "The Squid Game is popular, and 'National Power' seems to be playing another '5 billion game.'" Last month, Lee likened his conservative rivals to the black hand behind the TV series. He believes that "national power" is for the rich and is the big boss behind the capital game.

According to South Korean media reports, the source of this metaphor is the son of Guo Shangdao, a member of the "National Forces" lawmaker. After leaving an asset management company called "Fire Sky Dayou", he received a severance compensation of up to 5 billion won. As soon as the news came out, the whole country in South Korea was in an uproar: Congressman Guo's son was just an ordinary employee, how could He De take such a high compensation? This sky-high "compensation" is very shocking in the eyes of young Koreans with an average annual income of only 37.43 million won. People suspect that the money is a bribe paid under the guise of severance pay. Under pressure, Guo Shangdao announced his resignation from the party on September 26.

At the same time, Hong Zhunyu, who is seeking the nomination of the "National Force" presidential candidate, also played the "squid game" terrier. "Now, the presidential election is like a 'squid game.'" He wrote on social media, "Those who commit all kinds of corruption crimes, risk their lives to participate in this game, try to get huge prizes, but become losers at the last minute." In order to attack his opponent, Hong Zhunyu also said: "(In the play) in the game of finally walking across the glass bridge, the scene where Han Meinu hugs Zhang Dexiu, who betrayed her, jumps off the bridge, which reminds people of a certain candidate." Previously, Lee Jae-myung had been accused by South Korean actress Kim Fu-su of having an extramarital affair with himself.

Zheng Yayan, a Korean film expert at The Pittsburgh College of Sichuan University, analyzed that as one of the richest countries in Asia, South Korea, the plot of "Squid Game" resonated strongly with Young Koreans. "The prospect of winning huge sums of money is very attractive to today's young people, even though you may have blood on your hands." Zheng Yayan said, "Politicians use the 'squid game'... Claims that they will create a fairer society by rewarding hard work do not really take into account the contradictions in it, nor do they take into account that certain groups are already disadvantaged in the system. ”

Pragmatism beyond ideology

"If there is a prize of 45.6 billion won, I also want to participate in the squid game" "There are still people who are just eliminated, and they don't even have the opportunity to participate in the game", in the face of the severe economic damage caused by the epidemic and the huge pressure on life and society, South Koreans have complained on social media. Some analysts believe that the South Korean people's anger at the gap between the rich and the poor and the desire to improve the welfare system are conducive to Lee Jae-ming's election to a certain extent, and "Squid Game" that criticizes capital to manipulate the people is definitely the best propaganda strategy.

"Han Minzu News" commented that "Squid Game" not only shows the cruel plot of blood, but also vividly depicts the social reality of survival of the fittest, the survival of the fittest, the survival of the weak and the winner-take-all in neoliberal capitalist society. In the play, those weak people who have been eliminated by society because of their defeat in the "money war" are still bent on joining the ranks of the victors, holding the mentality of even grasping the life-saving straw, joining the survival game with almost no chance of winning, and giving the game organizers the joy of sadism with their tragic deaths. This is very easy to resonate with global audiences whose global financial crisis and COVID-19 pandemic led to greater social polarization in 2008.

The Financial Times reported that Lee Jae-ming, a member of a left-wing political party, has become increasingly popular with aggressive welfare spending, cheap public housing and low-interest loans for the poor. In particular, he proposed the Universal Basic Income (UBI), which means that the government pays everyone a sum of money unconditionally every month. According to Lee's plan, each Korean will initially receive 1 million won per year, after which this amount will continue to rise, eventually reaching 500,000 won per month. The presidential candidate has vowed radical policies to curb rising inequality. Li Zaiming once said that only when the basic living conditions in all aspects such as income, housing and finance are guaranteed, true freedom can be realized. He also said South Korea should become a country with a wealth of opportunities and dreams to address issues of inequity and inequality through sustained growth. But Mr. Lee's vision is considered unrealistic by critics because the government simply can't afford it, and it's just a gimmick in the election propaganda war.

According to South Korean media statistics, in the speeches delivered after being elected as the presidential candidate of the ruling party, "national" is the word that Lee Jae-ming mentions most frequently, a total of 47 times, followed by "economy" and "justice" 10 times each. South Korea's JoongAng Ilbo believes that Lee Jae-myung's speech embodies the principle of pragmatism that transcends ideology. "If policies are useful and efficient, what is the difference between the policies of progressive conservatives, leftists and rightists, Park Chung-hee, or Kim Dae-jung?" "As long as it can fill the people's wallets and improve the people's lives, it will be resolutely adopted and implemented regardless of ideology."

According to a Korean media analysis, "Frontier General Lee Jae-myung" can become the standard-bearer of the Common Democratic Party, to a large extent, because of his ardent hope for changes in the ruling party. Many want the power structure of the Common Democratic Party to change generationally. The logic behind this is that if you want to expel South Korea's vested interests, you must start with a major blood exchange within the mainstream of the party.

In addition, Korean society is also calling for change. Korean society is facing real problems such as the gap between rich and poor and the theory of class, which are cruelly depicted in "The Squid Game". According to US media analysis, this dystopian drama reflects the winner-take-all way of thinking and the economic frustration of Koreans in Korean society before the presidential election, exposing the deep social and economic problems such as high debt ratio and high housing prices in Korean society, as well as the reality that young people rely on debt to indulge in stock speculation and investment in virtual currencies.

It is not yet known whose hand the deer died

In fact, for Li Zaiming, poverty is also his bondage and driving force. Lee was born in 1964 to a poor peasant family in Andong, Gyeongsangbuk-do Province. According to the popular "spoon class theory" in South Korea, Lee Jae-ming feels that he can't even reach the lowest level of "soil spoon", but there is no spoon at all.

In 1982, the teenager, who had twice attempted suicide as a teenager, entered Chuo University Law School, and his life also ushered in the first change. After graduating in 1986, he passed the judicial exam and was inspired by lectures by former president and then-Busan human rights lawyer Roh Moo-hyun to embark on the path of a human rights lawyer.

Some Korean media have concluded that for the generation that just ended the war in the 1950s, getting rid of hunger was their greatest wish at that time, and it was this desire that gave birth to industrialization. As the middle class grew, so did the people's desire for democracy, with thousands of people pouring into the streets demanding an end to the dictatorship.

Today, there is a problem of polarization in Korean society, and "justice" has become the "spirit of the times" of Korean society. The basic income advocated by Lee zaiming is also part of a fair economy. "The more unfairness you feel, the higher the distrust of politics at the grassroots level of society" and "It's better to go to war," said one Lee supporter, arguing that South Korean society cannot continue like this and should turn the country upside down.

Lu Chao, chief expert of the Center for North Korea and Korea Studies of the Liaoning Academy of Social Sciences, said in an interview with the Global Times that Lee Jae-ming's victory in the party has a certain relationship with the factional contradictions in the ruling party. Another candidate, Lee Lo-won, who has served as a parliamentarian, prime minister, and head of the ruling party, seems to be more suitable for presidential candidates, but ultimately lost to rising star Lee Jae-ming. This is because some factions in the party that are not satisfied with Li Luoyuan support Lee Zaiming, and a candidate, Qiu Mei Ai, also played a role in the vote splitting.

As for the results of the presidential election in March next year, Lu Chao said that from the current point of view, the election situation of South Korea's ruling party and the opposition party is evenly matched, and it is difficult to distinguish between victory and defeat, which depends on whether there will be any emergencies before the election.