The Real Life "Squid Game" - Thousands Of Koreans Forced To Play Children's Games To NOT Be Killed
Rotten Mango
Deep Dive
What was the Brother’s Home in South Korea, and how does it relate to 'Squid Game'?
The Brother’s Home was a real-life facility in South Korea where thousands of people, including children, were forced into brutal conditions and subjected to torture disguised as games. It shares similarities with Netflix’s 'Squid Game,' where participants play deadly games for survival. The facility, run like a military camp, housed up to 3,500 people, and its practices, such as assigning numbers instead of names, mirror the show’s themes of dehumanization and violence.
Why were people forced into the Brother’s Home, and who were the victims?
People were forcibly taken to the Brother’s Home under the guise of being 'vagrants,' a term used by the South Korean government to describe individuals without a settled home or regular work. Victims included children as young as four, teenagers, adults, and elderly people. Many were kidnapped from public places, such as subway stations, by police officers and brought to the facility, where they were stripped of their identities and subjected to torture.
What were some of the brutal 'games' played at the Brother’s Home?
The 'games' at the Brother’s Home were forms of punishment disguised as childhood games. One example was the 'Han River Bridge,' where 50 people had to form a human bridge for guards to walk across. Other 'games' included 'Hiroshima,' where participants hung upside down from bunk beds, and 'Kimbap Roll,' where individuals were rolled in blankets and beaten. These activities often resulted in severe injuries, permanent disabilities, or death.
How did the Brother’s Home operate and who funded it?
The Brother’s Home operated as a large-scale social welfare facility, funded by the South Korean government and other undisclosed sources. It was run like a military camp, with strict hierarchies and guards enforcing brutal discipline. The facility’s director amassed significant wealth, with $8 million found in a vault during an investigation. The facility’s operations were hidden from the public, and its existence was justified under the guise of 'rehabilitating' vagrants.
What were the long-term effects on survivors of the Brother’s Home?
Survivors of the Brother’s Home suffered severe physical and psychological trauma. Many were permanently disabled, disfigured, or paralyzed due to the torture they endured. Survivors like Han Jung-sun, who authored a book about his experiences, described feeling dehumanized and living in constant fear. The trauma led to lasting emotional scars, with many struggling to reintegrate into society after escaping the facility.
How did the South Korean government justify the existence of the Brother’s Home?
The South Korean government justified the Brother’s Home as a means to 'clean up the streets' by removing vagrants and other 'unsightly' individuals ahead of major events like the 1988 Seoul Olympics. The government redefined the term 'vagrant' to include anyone who appeared unkempt, slept in public, or caused minor disturbances. Police were incentivized to bring in people who wouldn’t be missed, and the facility was presented as a rehabilitation center, though it functioned as a torture camp.
- Thousands held in a secretive compound resembling a military base.
- Inmates forced to play children's games with deadly consequences.
- Striking similarities between Brother's Home and Squid Game plot.
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