SPOTLIGHT 25/01/07 Netflix series faces backlash over Vietnam War reference

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Vietnamese netizens call to boycott 'Squid Game' for 'whitewashing of atrocities committed by South Korean soldiers'

A screen grab of the controversial scene from Season 2 of Netflix's original series 'Squid Game' depicting characters discussing a Korean veteran of the Vietnam War.  (Photo: koreatimes.co.kr)

By UCA News reporter

Published: January 07, 2025 12:02 PM GMT

Updated: January 07, 2025 12:13 PM GMT

Authorities in Vietnam have launched a probe into season 2 of Squid Game, a popular Korean-language series on Netflix, for depicting characters glorifying a Korean veteran of the Vietnam War.

The Vietnam Cinema Department is reviewing whether the series violates the country's film laws, the Korea Times reported citing Vietnamese state media outlet Lao Dong on Jan. 7.

“If it is concluded that the series violates regulations, we will handle the matter in accordance with the law,” the department said on Jan. 6.

A dialogue involving a contestant in an episode of the series sparked widespread backlash on Vietnamese social media for misrepresenting the nation’s history.

The controversial scene involves South Korean actor Kang Ha-neul, who plays the character Dae-ho (participant No. 388), describing his family’s military history.

Kang’s character reportedly says his father wanted him “to become a real man,” and so sent him to the Marines. “My father was a Vietnam War veteran,” he adds.

The other actors respond by saying his father “must be an honorable man.”

This exchange of dialogue enraged Vietnamese viewers, who saw it as a glorification of South Korean soldiers who served in the Vietnam War.

Many of them criticized the scene on social media sites.

“It’s wrong to portray Korean veterans of the Vietnam War as honorable figures,” said an unnamed social media user, the Korea Times reported.

Another user commented that “the series whitewashes the atrocities committed by South Korean soldiers during the war.”

Some of the users also accused South Korea of hypocrisy.

“South Korea demands apologies and reparations from Japan for colonial rule but boasts about its military involvement in Vietnam. This is a double standard," the Korea Timesreported citing a social media user who was not named.

Many viewers have demanded Netflix Vietnam reeval‎uate the series, with some even calling for its removal from the platform in the country.

This is not the first time a Korean drama has faced such intense scrutiny in Vietnam.

In 2022, tvN's drama "Little Women" was removed from Netflix Vietnam after it was accused of distorting history and violating local laws.

The controversy arose from dialogue describing South Korean soldiers as capable of killing 20 Viet Cong soldiers and portraying them as heroes of the Vietnam War.

The Viet Cong (VC) was a guerrilla force that, with the support of the North Vietnamese Army, fought against South Vietnam (late 1950s–1975) and the United States (early 1960s–1973).

The name is said to have first been used by South Vietnamese President Ngo Dinh Diem to belittle the rebels.

Between 1964 and 1973, South Korea had deployed around 320,000 troops to Vietnam to fight alongside the U.S. army. This was in exchange for U.S. aid to resuscitate the then-ailing Korean economy, Foreign Policy Magazine reported.

The South Korean soldiers have since been accused of committing mass killings of Vietnamese civilians.

It is estimated that the South Korean troops had slaughtered as many as 9,000 innocent Vietnamese in massacres throughout the country, according to a study by a South Korean researcher who interviewed survivors and witnesses.