BANGKOK — The national police said watching the popular South Korean series “Squid Game” could drive viewers to commit crimes, and hinted at a possible attempt to censor the show.
Police spokesman Kissana Phattanacharoen said the series, which depicted a group of people participating in a deadly game show in pursuit of huge jackpot prizes, may lead to copycat violence. Younger audiences are particularly at risk, the spokesman said.
“[The series] have content, images, and audio that feature violence for the sake of competition and survival,” Col. Kissana said in a statement released to the media on Sunday. “It may lead to imitation, cause viewers to have violent behavior, or result in viewers to imagine that they are in similar situations shown in the series.”
He continued, “These factors may lead to crimes that affect the lives, bodies, and properties of others, especially among children and young people. Their guardians should therefore exercise control and monitor their use of social media and entertainment, and closely give them parental advice, in order to create correct understanding.”
Squid Game debuted on streaming site Netflix on Sept. 17, and has since skyrocketed to the most watched show on the platform in Thailand and other parts of the world.
Due to its depiction of gore and violence, Squid Game is given a rating of 18 and up in Thailand, but Col. Kissana said today that the authorities may step up their effort to ensure that no inappropriate content will be seen by children.
“Although there’s already a rating for [series], we have to campaign for caution when consuming the online media,” the spokesman said.
“There’s already an agency responsible for censorship, and we may have to talk with them on some points to make sure things are appropriate,” he added. “We’ll perform our duty, which is to prevent crimes, by coordinating with relevant agencies.”
