Now listen ‒ I’m all for shows that highlight female empowerment, so when I heard about Siren: Survive The Island, I knew I had to catch the survival series. 10 episodes later, I was awed by the strength and intelligence of these ladies, and learned that every occupation has its own struggle.
If you’re still hesitating to hit the ‘play’ button on your Netflix account, perhaps the following facts about the Korean survival show might just make you do so.
Warning: Spoilers for Siren: Survive The Island ahead, proceed at your own risk if you’ve yet to watch the show!
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There are many things at stake when appearing on a survival show, so it is not surprising to hear that Kim Bomeun, leader of the soldier team, initially rejected being on the Netflix series.
She explained in an interview that she was discharged from the military in 2014, meaning it has been almost a decade since she actually worked as a soldier. Considering the fact that she hasn’t been training like she used to, she was unsure whether she would be able to do a good job on the show.
Nonetheless, she decided to embrace her fears and challenge herself after learning that she would be participating in the show as part of a team rather than as an individual.
With voice phishing scams on the rise, it doesn’t hurt to be suspicious when receiving a call from a stranger. However, it turned out that when Netflix tried to cast police officers for the show, the latter thought that the streaming platform was a voice phishing organisation.
Fun fact: They even investigated Netflix for their “suspicious” activity.
Going from working as an honourable security guard, responsible for protecting the president, to becoming an actress is not a career switch you’d typically expect. However, it was the case for the leader of the security guard team Kim Sooryeon.
After stepping down as a security guard, she acted in many popular K-dramas such as Pinocchio, The Legend of the Blue Sea, and Penthouse 2.
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Unlike Singapore, Korea has many islands, and some of them are even inhabited. In order to find the best location for filming, the production crew of Siren: Survive The Island travelled around the country, sourcing for one that fits their criteria for survival and gameplay.
However, even when the team found an island that fit the bill, their task didn’t just stop there. They also had to seek permission from the owners of the island for filming.
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There are many things in common between shows like Street Woman Fighter and Strong Woman Bong-Soon ‒ they portray women in a respectable manner, and highlight the incredible skills they have. To put it simply, they empower women to strive for their best.
Riding on the success of these shows, director Kim Eunkyeong explained that she was inspired to create a new series that showcases females from various physically-demanding professions. Since it is uncommon to see women wielding axes and hammers IRL, Siren: Survive The Island aims to show global audiences that women are equally strong, if not more capable than men.
During the official press conference, the director shared her plans of making use of Siren: Survive The Island to highlight the hard work, friendship, and achievements of women. It turned out that it wasn’t difficult for the director to achieve her goal, given that the survival show featured team missions that involved strategic planning and survival skills ‒ all of which encompassed the three key points.
The underlying reason behind conveying this message is also to remind viewers that society is changing, and encourage more women to step up.
This might come as a surprise to some, but there is actually no prize for the winning team of Siren: Survive The Island other than bragging rights. When asked, the participants mentioned that they were absolutely fine with not receiving anything, besides their appearance fee, since the show was primarily about their occupation.
Rather than focusing on winning a prize, the participants expressed their desire to defend the reputation of their jobs, and show others what women are capable of. A major slay.
Siren: Survive The Island may appear as just a Netflix show to some, but for the participants and production team, it is a survival series that involves risks and danger.
To ensure the safety of both parties, the director consulted with medical professionals before the official filming to determine the necessary equipment and measures required on the island. They even built a makeshift hospital and had a doctor on standby.
Thanks to the professionalism of the production team, participants who got injured during the filming were able to get treated in time.
Thanks to the positive reviews of Siren: Survive The Island, it was revealed not long ago that one participant managed to overcome a slump that she was experiencing. Although they didn’t reveal her identity, the news proved that such shows actually inspire others to never give up and strive for improvement.
Just as Beyoncé sang that “girls run the world”, Siren: Survive The Island proves that women are capable of leading their own lives, and are not to be messed with. Through a series of physically-demanding missions and challenges, the Netflix show also empowers women of tomorrow to chase their dreams, and never let the opinions of others put them down.
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