🔗 Share this article

This exclusive piece explores remarkable conversations and stories from around the globe.

"{I disliked that I looked Asian, that I didn't have blue eyes and fair hair, because those were the beauty standards at the time," reveals the actress, who portrayed the lead character in Netflix's chart-topping movie, KPop Demon Hunters.

Cho, forty, recalls her early years in Texas, as the firstborn child of parents who emigrated from Korea and her journey toward belonging in the United States.

In the movie, which tells the story of a female K-Pop trio who must save the world from dark powers, the protagonist has to accept her true nature 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 I'm not, trying to figure out my sense of self as an Korean-American, as a Korean-American, as a female," she explains.

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

"Truthfully, at different points in my life, I hated many parts of me and I longed to become a different person.

"During childhood, what you see influences your development and it seems I lacked exposure to sufficient individuals that shared my appearance."

When it debuted on the platform in June, KPop Demon Hunters registered millions of streams in just two weeks, and reached 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 Cho "an aspiration realized" – but it has also established her as a inspiring figure for young Asian-Americans, the type that she lacked when in her youth.

She says many Korean-Americans have expressed it's "such a refreshing moment", making them feel pride for the first instance of their mixed background and cultural roots.

"I feel like K-Pop has genuinely broken barriers. K-beauty has had a significant influence on global appreciation for Korea. But I believe the film is the one that tipped it over the edge, of, everybody wants to go to Korea, now," Cho says.

But the movie's triumph was not guaranteed and the actress says she felt the team making it were "occasionally struggling against odds".

"I feel like it's unfortunate to say this, but any time there's an Asian-led project, it's perceived like a gamble," she says.

So, when she accepted the part, she took steps to connect with the entire cast and crew face-to-face, she says.

The movie was launched against the backdrop of increased immigration raids in the United States as part of mass deportation efforts, which sparked protests in numerous regions.

As an Asian-American living in the US "it's deeply saddening," she states. "Newcomers have shaped the nation."

Korean news sources have estimated that up to 150,000 Korean immigrants lacking legal status, including adopted children, are among those who could be removed.

As an adult, Cho came to realise that the racism she had experienced when she was younger stemmed mainly from a lack of education, as many were unaware what it signified to be of Asian descent.

"But now, in this day and age, when it seems the world and individuals ought to be more informed, it is beyond disappointing and at times it appears there's a sense of despair," she expresses.

Because of this, it's particularly meaningful, she says, that KPop Demon Hunters could bring "optimism and happiness to all these different communities".

"Perhaps this explains it became this movie of the summer, because we just needed positivity and a unifying element as one."

The growth of AI is a significant worry for the film industry, raising the possibility that in coming years it could be used to make a film like the animation.

Cho says she is aware that technology is already being used to replicate actors' voices, but aims to "maintain faith in people" that audiences will still seek out human-made creativity.

"Certainly, I'm sure there will be AI actors and singers. I know they already exist. I understand performers' voices are already being manipulated, but I hope people have appreciation and desire for authentic creations."

The film has also been dominating the global music charts, with multiple songs from its soundtrack featured on the Billboard Hot 100. It has its own fan art, and viewers globally are calling for a follow-up.

She tells us she would like to confirm the inquiry of if a sequel is planned – but both everyone involved will have to wait for the platform or the studio, which made the film, to approve the project.

"I know there's lots of murmurs, I've heard wonderful things," she shares. "Only time will tell, and I believe fans everywhere would riot if there wasn't."

• Starting conversations, fostering relationships and combating false narratives through features, investigations, interviews and remarkable accounts