🔗 Share this article

This feature explores remarkable conversations and narratives from worldwide.

"{I disliked that I looked Asian, that I didn't have light-colored eyes and blonde hair, because that's what was beautiful at the time," says the actress, who voiced the lead character in Netflix's chart-topping movie, the K-pop themed animation.

The performer, forty, is describing her early years in the southern state, as the firstborn child of Korean immigrant parents and her journey toward belonging in the United States.

In the movie, which narrates the tale of a female K-Pop trio who must rescue humanity from evil forces, Rumi has to come to terms with her true nature as a hybrid being – and when she first saw the screenplay, this resonated powerfully.

"Growing up in the US, identifying as American but having people treat me like a foreigner, grappling with my sense of self as an Korean-American, as a Korean-American, as a female," she explains.

These were all components of her early life that paralleled the character's path.

"I can honestly say, at various stages in my life, I despised many parts of me and I longed to become someone else.

"During childhood, what you see shapes who you become and it seems I lacked exposure to enough people that look like me."

When it debuted on the platform in the summer, KPop Demon Hunters registered millions of streams in just two weeks, and reached the top 10 of the streaming rankings in 93 countries. To star in the first Hollywood animated film set in Korea, with Korean leads, was for her "a dream come true" – 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 individuals of Korean descent have expressed it's "such a refreshing moment", making them proud for the first instance of their dual heritage and culture.

"I feel like Korean pop music has genuinely broken barriers. K-beauty has had a significant influence on global appreciation for Korea. But I feel like this movie is the one that pushed it further, of, inspiring travel to Korea, currently," Cho says.

But the film's success was uncertain and the actress says she felt the team making it were "sometimes facing an uphill battle".

"I feel like it kind of sucks to say this, but any time there's an production with Asian leads, it's perceived like it's a risk," she says.

So, when she accepted the part, she took steps to meet everyone working on the film face-to-face, she says.

The film was released against the backdrop of heightened enforcement actions in the US as part of extensive removal policies, which sparked protests in numerous regions.

As an person of Asian descent residing in America "it's heartbreaking and disappointing," says Cho. "Newcomers have shaped the nation."

Korean news sources have suggested that up to 150,000 Korean immigrants without proper documentation, including those who were adopted, are among those who could be deported.

As an grown-up, she understood that the prejudice she had experienced when in her youth was largely due to a lack of education, as many were unaware what it signified to be Korean or Asian.

"However today, in the modern era, when I feel like the world and people ought to be more informed, it's deeply disheartening and at times I feel like there's a sense of despair," she expresses.

Because of this, it feels very special, she says, that the film could bring "hope and joy and love to various groups".

"Perhaps this explains it's sort of like 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, raising the possibility that in coming years it could be used to make a film like the animation.

The actress says she is conscious that technology is already being used to replicate performers' vocals, but wants to "have hope in humanity" that audiences will still pursue human-made creativity.

"Certainly, I believe they're going to have AI actors and vocalists. I know they already exist. I understand our voices are already being altered, but I hope people have appreciation and desire for authentic creations."

The film has also been leading the global music charts, with seven tracks from its soundtrack featured on the prestigious charts. It has its own fan art, and audiences around the world are calling for a follow-up.

She tells us she wishes she could answer the question of if a sequel is planned – but both everyone involved will have to await the platform or the studio, 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 fans everywhere would riot if it didn't happen."

• Initiating discussions, fostering relationships and combating false narratives through features, investigations, conversations and extraordinary stories