🔗 Share this article

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

"{I hated that I had Asian features, 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 the streaming platform's highly successful animated film, the K-pop themed animation.

The performer, forty, is describing her childhood in Texas, as the eldest daughter of Korean immigrant parents and her journey toward belonging in American society.

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 come to terms with her true nature as part human, part demon – and when Cho first read the script, this resonated powerfully.

"Growing up in the US, identifying as American but having others view me like I'm not, grappling with my identity as an Asian-American, as a Asian-American, as a woman," she says.

These elements were aspects of her early life that mirrored the character's path.

"Truthfully, at different points in my life, I hated a lot of myself and I wanted to be someone else.

"As kids, your surroundings shapes your development and I feel like I just didn't see sufficient individuals that shared my appearance."

When it debuted on the platform in June, the animated feature achieved 33 million views in just 14 days, and reached the top 10 of the streaming rankings in dozens of nations. To be part of the first Hollywood animated film set in Korea, with Asian protagonists, was for her "an aspiration realized" – but it has also established her as a inspiring figure for Asian-American children, the type that she lacked when she was young.

She notes many Korean-Americans 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 really, truly, has paved the way. Korean cosmetics 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, currently," Cho says.

But the movie's triumph was not guaranteed and Cho says she felt the production crew were "occasionally struggling against odds".

"It seems it kind of sucks to mention this, but any time there's an Asian-led project, people feel like a gamble," she says.

So, when she took on the role, she made an effort to meet the entire cast and crew in person, she adds.

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

As an person of Asian descent living in the US "it's deeply saddening," says Cho. "Immigrants have shaped the nation."

Reports have suggested that up to one hundred fifty thousand Korean immigrants without proper documentation, including those who were adopted, are among those who could be removed.

As an grown-up, she came to realise that the racism she had experienced when she was younger was largely due to a knowledge gap, as many were unaware what it meant to be Korean or Asian.

"But now, in the modern era, when it seems the society and individuals should know better, it's deeply disheartening and at times I feel like we feel so hopeless," she expresses.

Because of this, it feels very special, she says, that KPop Demon Hunters could bring "optimism and happiness to all these different communities".

"Perhaps this explains it's sort of like the season's hit film, because there was a need for positivity and something to unite us all together."

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

The actress acknowledges she is aware that AI is already being used to copy actors' voices, but wants to "have hope in humanity" that audiences will still seek out art created by humans.

"Certainly, I'm sure they're going to have digital performers and vocalists. I know they already exist. I know performers' voices are already being manipulated, but I hope people have some respect and desire for something real."

KPop Demon Hunters has also been leading the global music charts, with seven tracks from its soundtrack featured on the Billboard Hot 100. It has its own fan art, and viewers around the world are calling for a follow-up.

She reveals she wishes she could answer the question of if a sequel is planned – but both she and fans will have to wait for the streaming service or the studio, which made the film, to approve the project.

"I know rumors are circulating, the feedback is positive," she shares. "So we shall see, and I believe fans everywhere would protest if there wasn't."

• Initiating discussions, fostering relationships and challenging misinformation through articles, in-depth reports, conversations and remarkable accounts