Many small business owners in South Korea recognize themselves in the cash-strapped characters of the wildly popular Netflix drama "Squid Game," who vie desperately for a chance to win $38 million, exposing a debt trap that is all too familiar.

Nearing retirement at 58, Yu Hee-sook paid off her debts long ago, but still gets calls from collection agencies threatening to seize her bank accounts, as the loans got securitized and sold to investors without her knowledge.

"In Korea, it's like the end of the world once you become a credit delinquent," said Yu, who got by on small jobs, such as writing for movie magazines, during the 13 years it took to pay off the debts she incurred over a movie that flopped in 2002.