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| yna@yna.co.kr 2021-10-01 17:34:12
SEOUL, Oct. 1 (Yonhap) -- South Korean fashion model and actress Jung Ho-yeon (27) has become the biggest beneficiary of the latest survival drama "Squid Game," which has become the first Korean series to top the chart for most-watched Netflix TV series around the world, tracked by streaming analytics firm FlixPatrol.
Jung, who plays a North Korean defector entering the game to pay off a broker who can help retrieve her family members, recently saw the number of her Instagram followers soar from 400,000 to 9 million after her appearance in "Squid Game," and is without a doubt drawing the most attention nationwide and globally.
"The biggest feeling I have is gratitude, but (the popularity of 'Squid Game') still hasn't hit me yet. I knew a lot was happening online and it was spreading very quickly. Now that I'm doing this interview, I'm realizing that the drama series is doing really well," Jung said.
In a video interview with Yonhap News Agency on Friday, Jung said, "Every time I see the increasing number of followers on my Instagram I still can't believe it," adding, "I do feel a lot of pressure, but I'm focusing on waking up every day and gratefully living my day to the fullest."
When asked how actor Lee Dong-hwi, who Jung had started a romantic relationship with in 2015, reacted to the sensation, she said, "He was very happy as if it was his news. He frequently told me that he was proud of me," proving the unchanging affection between the two.
As a former participant in the reality show "Korea's Next Top Model," Jung appeared in various advertisements and fashion shows for luxury brands such as Chanel while working abroad, and in September 2018, the actress ranked No.50 in the world's top female model rankings.
However last year, Jung transferred from modeling agency ESteem Group Company to Saram Entertainment, an agency which mostly manages actors, and hit the "jackpot" with both her debut as an actress and starring in "Squid Game." Jung's mysterious mask and unique voice tone have also succeeded in catching the eyes of overseas fans.
"I was very scared to go into auditions in less than a month after moving to an actor-centered company, however I had no choice but to spend a lot of time looking into my character. dawn. I was not satisfied with my own acting skills, but I canceled all my schedules for New York Fashion Week(NYFW) and returned to Korea in order to audition. In the end, I was called to say that I was cast," Jung said.
"I was one hundred percent satisfied with Sae-byeok's physical appearance and I didn't need to give any more opinions because the makeup and costume teams were perfectly prepared. I needed to study a lot about the internal parts of my character because I didn't have enough experience acting for a role like this. I wrote a diary in Sae-byeok's perspective in order to help me think from her perspective. I constantly practiced dialects used in North Korea as well as martial arts.
As for the reasons behind her character's popularity, Jung mentioned that the most meaningful part of Sae-byeok was her willingness to sacrifice herself for loved ones. "In reality, I'm more individualistic, however Sae-byeok enters the game for her family. Looking at my character, I realized that living for somebody would be worthwhile."
The 27-year-old model also said she wasn't disappointed when the she received more immediate attention as an actress rather than her life-long career as a model. "When I look back at my time on 'Korea's Next Top Model,' it's embarrassing to see myself so caught up in wanting to win. Since I had modeled for a long time, I was more worried about the viewers wouldn't perceive me as Sae-byeok, but thankfully the audience saw me for my character."
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