🔗 Share this article

This exclusive piece explores remarkable conversations and narratives from worldwide.

"{I disliked that I had Asian features, that I lacked blue eyes and blonde hair, because those were the beauty standards back then," says the actress, who portrayed the lead character in Netflix's highly successful movie, KPop Demon Hunters.

Cho, forty, is describing her childhood in the southern state, as the firstborn child of Korean immigrant parents and her struggle for acceptance in American society.

In the movie, which tells the story of a girl group who must rescue humanity from evil forces, Rumi has to accept her identity as part human, part demon – and when she first saw the screenplay, this resonated powerfully.

"Being born in America, feeling American but having others view me like a foreigner, grappling with my identity as an Korean-American, as a Korean-American, as a woman," she says.

These were all components of her formative years that paralleled Rumi's journey.

"I can honestly say, at various stages in my existence, I despised a lot of myself and I longed to become a different person.

"As kids, your surroundings influences who you become and it seems I lacked exposure to sufficient individuals that shared my appearance."

When it debuted on the platform in the summer, KPop Demon Hunters achieved 33 million views in just 14 days, and secured the top 10 of the Netflix charts in dozens of nations. To be part of the pioneering animation set in Korea, with Korean leads, was for her "a dream come true" – but it has also made her a inspiring figure for young Asian-Americans, the kind that was missing when in her youth.

Cho notes many individuals of Korean descent have expressed it's "such a refreshing moment", making them feel pride for the first time of their dual heritage and cultural roots.

"I feel like Korean pop music really, truly, has paved the way. Korean cosmetics has had such a big impact on global appreciation for Korea. But I feel like the film is the one that pushed it further, of, everybody wants to go to Korea, currently," Cho says.

But the film's success was uncertain and Cho admits she felt the production crew were "sometimes facing an uphill battle".

"I feel like it's unfortunate to mention this, but any time there's an production with Asian leads, people feel like a gamble," she reveals.

So, when she accepted the part, she made an effort to connect with the entire cast and crew face-to-face, she adds.

The film was released amid heightened enforcement actions in the US as part of mass deportation efforts, which triggered demonstrations in many states.

As an person of Asian descent living in the US "it's heartbreaking and disappointing," she states. "Newcomers have made America what it is."

Korean news sources have estimated that up to one hundred fifty thousand individuals from Korea without proper documentation, including adopted children, are among those who could be removed.

As an grown-up, Cho understood that the prejudice she had experienced when in her youth stemmed mainly from a lack of education, as people didn't know what it signified to be Korean or Asian.

"However today, in the modern era, when I feel like the society and individuals ought to be more informed, it's deeply disheartening and sometimes I feel like we feel so hopeless," she expresses.

Due to this, it's particularly meaningful, she says, that the film could bring "hope and joy and love to various groups".

"Maybe that's why it became the season's hit film, because there was a need for positivity and a unifying element all together."

The growth of AI is a major concern for the film industry, creating the potential that in future it could be used to make a movie like KPop Demon Hunters.

Cho acknowledges she is conscious that AI is already being used to copy actors' voices, but aims to "have hope in humanity" that individuals will still pursue art created by humans.

"Certainly, I'm sure they're going to have digital performers and singers. I'm aware they already exist. I understand our voices are already being manipulated, but I trust the public have appreciation and desire for authentic creations."

KPop Demon Hunters has also been dominating the global music charts, with seven tracks from its score featured on the Billboard Hot 100. It has its own fan art, and audiences globally are demanding a follow-up.

Cho tells us she would like to confirm the question of whether that will happen – but both everyone involved will have to wait for the platform or the production company, which produced the movie, to approve the project.

"I'm aware rumors are circulating, the feedback is positive," she says. "Only time will tell, and I think everyone in the world would riot if it didn't happen."

• Initiating discussions, building connections and combating false narratives through articles, investigations, conversations and extraordinary stories