At the 74th Primetime Emmy Awards Ceremony on Sept. 12, Korean Netflix show “Squid Game”, directed by Hwang Dong-hyuk, won six Emmys and was nominated for another eight, becoming the first non-English show to win an Emmy.

“Squid Game,” released on Sept. 17, 2021, stands as the most popular TV show on Netflix, garnering 1.6 billion hours viewed in its first four weeks of release. In the drama, adults in poor financial condition play children’s games against each other to win 45.6 billion won or die trying.

“I already expected that Squid Game would be at least nominated in the Emmys due to its explosive popularity,” Allison Lee (11), a viewer, said. “However, I did not think that it would actually win an Emmy, let alone multiple. It really did make history that day.”

The television series won Outstanding Production Design For A Narrative Contemporary Program, Outstanding Directing For A Drama Series, Outstanding Special Visual Effects In A Single Episode, and Outstanding Stunt Performance. 

Actors Lee Jung-jae and Lee You-mi also won Outstanding Lead Actor In A Drama Series and the Outstanding Guest Actress In A Drama Series, respectively. In particular, Lee Jung-jae became the first Asian to win the best male actor in a drama series award.

“Having more international shows on the Emmys will be beneficial,” Steven Kim (11), TV show enthusiast, said. “It will increase exposure to television shows from different countries that may be underrated in the entertainment industry. Furthermore, adding diverse shows can arouse interest and viewership for the Emmys award show, so it would actually be beneficial.”