HWANG
Photo courtesy of Netflix
Photo courtesy of Netflix
「我們一路奮戰，不是為了改變世界，而是 為了不讓世界改變我們。」
無聲吶喊，2011 SILENCED, 2011
“Weshouldnotfighttochangetheworld itselfbuttostopitfromchangingus. ”
The Pride of Ssangmun-dong
Born in Seoul and raised in modest circumstances in Ssangmundong, HWANG Dong-hyuk grew up watching how inequality shaped everyday lives. He later entered Seoul National University to study Communication — becoming, as he has said, like CHO Sang-woo in Squid Game: “the pride of Ssangmun-dong”, the neighbourhood’s great hope.
As his understanding of society deepened, cinema became the language through which he responded to it. What he witnessed around him would later surface as the emotional tension driving his stories. He went on to earn an MFA in Film Production at the University of Southern California, setting the course for his career as a filmmaker.
雙門洞的驕傲
黃東赫生於首爾，由母親與外婆負債養大，家境清貧。
成長於雙門洞，他自小近距離觀察社會現實。後入讀首爾 大學傳播系，逐步培養對時事與社會議題的敏銳觸覺。
他形容那時的自己，如《魷魚遊戲》中的曹尚佑—— 「雙門洞的驕傲」，鄰里以他為榮，寄予厚望。
隨著視野擴展，他愈加意識到社會分化與不公。電影的 敘事力量吸引著他，也成為他回應現實的方式。對社會的 洞察，轉化為他作品中的情感張力與衝突來源，使他逐漸 成為一位敢於發聲的導演。畢業後，他赴美深造，於南加 州大學攻讀電影製作碩士，正式踏上導演之路。
From Shorts to Spotlight
During his studies, he made two shorts, Desperation and Miracle Mile, both shot in California and centred on marginal lives. Miracle Mile first signalled his directorial promise.
In Los Angeles, chasing his dream, he was both fervent and uncertain — a mood echoed in the film’s heroine. In 18 minutes, longing and fate converge, reflecting his early self-searching. The film won several U.S. awards, marking the start of his directing career.
由短片到大導
修學期間，他拍攝兩部短片《絕處》與《奇跡千里》，皆在 加州取景，聚焦社會小人物的掙扎。《奇跡千里》更讓外界 看見他的導演潛力。
身處洛杉磯追夢的他，熱血而迷惘，心境與片中遠赴異鄉尋 親的女主角相互映照。18 分鐘之內，命運與鄉愁交織，亦
成為他對自我與現實的凝視。對生命與社會的觀察，持續 滋養着他的創作。《奇跡千里》其後獲多項美國電影獎項 肯定，為他正式踏上導演之路揭開序幕。
For the Love of the World
Before Squid Game, HWANG was already speaking through film. To him, cinema is art and critique in one.
His feature debut, My Father (2007), a U.S.–Korean coproduction, redefined the image of a soldier through James — resolute yet deeply human. Moving beyond a conventional reunion story, the film explored identity and family under institutional weight, finding quiet hope in human decency. It earned him a Best New Director nomination at the Blue Dragon Film Awards.
在《魷魚遊戲》之前，黃東赫已在用電影說話。電影是一門 藝術，也是諷刺社會的工具。或許兩者的分野沒有想像般 大。要改變社會，黃東赫選擇用電影。
他首部執導長片《我的父親》由美國和南韓團隊共同製作。
黃東赫筆下的 James 不囿於軍人固有的倔強形象，反而 強大而重情，電影於 2007 年在南韓上映。《我的父親》 打破尋親題材的既定框架，透過親情與身份認同的拉扯， 呈現體制之下的無力感；而人性的善，成為沉重現實中 僅存的希望。黃東赫亦憑此片獲青龍獎最佳新人導演提名。
The Gwangju Inhwa School scandal stunned the nation. HWANG responded with Silenced, confronting systemic cruelty without compromise. The film sparked public outrage and helped propel the “Silenced Law”, strengthening legal protections for children and people with disabilities — establishing him as a director who speaks when it matters.
He did not relent. The Fortress, set against the Byeongja War, frames a king’s impossible choice between honour and survival. Scored by SAKAMOTO Ryuichi, it strips history to its moral core and marked a summit in his artistry. Then came Squid Game — savage, ironic, and unflinching — thrusting his indictment of inequality onto the world stage.
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光州仁和聾啞學校事件震動全國。黃東赫改編為
《無聲吶喊》，直面制度之惡，以姜仁浩沉靜與掙扎 撐起敘事。電影逼視社會黑暗，口碑與票房俱佳， 更推動通過「熔爐法」，強化對兒童與殘障人士的 保障。自此，他被視為勇於發聲的導演。
他並未止步。《南漢山城》改編自「丙子之役」，書寫 國難下的抉擇與掙扎。配合坂本龍一的配樂， 電影將勝負之外的犧牲與代價推至眼前。此片 成為他敘事與美術的高峰，並入選多個國際影展。
其後，《魷魚遊戲》橫空出世。血腥與童趣並置，以更 鋒利的方式諷刺社會不公。
Squid Game emerged from a low point in HWANG’s life. He spent a decade refining it — from a film concept into a series — insisting that even the most personal story must remain compelling.
Moving into television gave him new freedom. In partnering with a global streamer, he refused to “play it safe”, preserving the show’s offbeat tone — even insisting on the childlike instrumentation of Way Back Then, which became iconic.
LEE Jung-jae once said HWANG is less a conventional director than an abstract artist — his scripts appear simple, yet hold striking depth.
Photo courtesy of Netflix
《魷魚遊戲》誕生於黃東赫的人生低谷。
他無論順逆，始終堅持觀察生命與寫作， 歷經十年反覆打磨，最終由電影構想轉為 劇集形式。他曾說，故事再個人，也必須 有趣、具娛樂性——這或許正是他成功的底氣。
從電影轉向劇集，他適應全然不同的節奏，也 發現更大的創作空間。首次與串流巨頭合作， 他依然堅持創作立場，不打「安全牌」，例如 為保留作品的怪誕氣質，冒險選用只以童樂器 演奏的開場曲《 Way Back Then》，最終成為畫龍 點睛之筆。李政宰曾說，比起電影導演，他更像 一位抽象藝術家。
Photo courtesy of Netflix
Photo courtesy of Netflix
While filming Squid Game Season One, HWANG lost six teeth under immense pressure yet the series revealed the global power of Asian storytelling. In an industry long dominated by English-language productions, it opened new space for Asian voices on the world stage.
The show made him the first Asian director to win an Emmy and brought renewed attention to earlier works such as Silenced and Miss Granny. His films reveal the power and cultural depth of Asian cinema, paving the way for a new generation of filmmakers worldwide.
Photo courtesy of Netflix
Photo courtesy of Netflix
拍攝《魷魚遊戲》第一季期間，黃東赫 因壓力過大掉了六顆牙齒，卻也藉此向 世界展示亞洲創作的力量。在英語作品 主導的市場中，他為亞洲影視打開國際 舞台。
《魷魚遊戲》讓他成為首位奪得艾美獎的 亞洲導演，也帶動《無聲吶喊》、《重返 20 歲》 等舊作登上全球串流平台。他的作品展現 亞洲電影的力量與文化深度，為新一代創作 者鋪路。
Photo courtesy of Netflix
Photo courtesy of Netflix
HWANG’s CLASSIC WORKS 經典作品
Desperation (short, 2000)
Miracle Mile (short, 2004)
MyFather (2007)
Silenced (2011)
MissGranny (2014)
The Fortress (2017)
Collectors (2020)
SquidGame (Series, 2021-2025)
絕處 ( 短篇電影，2000)
奇跡千里 ( 短篇電影，2004)
我的父親 (2007)
無聲吶喊 (2011)
重返 20 歲 (2014)
南漢山城 (2017)
盜墓同盟 (2020)
魷魚遊戲 系列 (2021-2025)
CJ ENM CO. LTD, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
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Special thanks to Director HWANG Dong-hyuk for generously sharing exclusive photographs for this booklet.
特別鳴謝黃東赫導演慷慨分享珍貴照片，用於本場刊。
