Actress Jung Ho Yeon met explosive popularity for her fierce character on the hit Netflix original drama, Squid Game. Despite her character being threatened throughout the whole show, she never once faltered. Saebyeok, her character, plays a crucial role in the series as a player in the deadly game for the sake of her family.
This article explores the story of Kang Saebyeok, the North Korean defector in the popular Netflix series. Without going too much into detail, Saebyeok is left with her little brother, making her the sole caretaker. The character joins the game in a desperate attempt to save her and her family in an impending doom.
The actress to have played this fierce, and courageous character is no other than Jung Ho Yeon.
Jung Ho Yeon first appeared in the eyes of the public as a model. The star walked many lavish runways in New York, London, Milano, and Paris with her signature red colored hair. The model then tested the waters in acting, landing her first role in “Squid Game.”
The model/actress chose the best possible option for her acting debut. “Squid Game” went on to be an international phenomenon, with millions of people learning and grieving through the story of Kang Saebyeok. As the show rose to prominence, the star began to see an immense change, starting from her followers count on Instagram. Jung Ho Yeon had 400,000 followers before her rise to stardom and resulted in 23.6 million.
"My followers count would increase every time I would log in. I watched it happen and it is simply a surreal experience.” (Jung Ho Yeon)
Dispatch had the opportunity to speak with the actress for her role in the Squid Game and thoughts regarding her unexpected global fame.
◆ "Emptying out thoughts"
“Acting was quite a spontaneous idea. New York had become the epicenter for Covid-19 and the runways were closed for an uncertain amount of time. That’s when I caught wind of an audition of a Netflix series called, Squid Game.”
"I often got asked questions concerning my future after my modeling career. I did think about acting but they were more like passing thoughts. I went into the audition without much thought and gave it a go.”
According to the actress, acting requires the exploration of human beings. The model/actress remarked, “I enjoy spending my time by watching movies and reading books. It’s fascinating to go through the lives of each character as you become immersed in the works.”
“A model is an occupation where it caters to a physical appearance. Walking on runways had caused me to question my internal appearance, my identity. Acting is the opposite, allowing me to express myself.”
The role of Kang Saebyeok is the actress’s breakout show. The series is also her acting debut. We ask the first-time actress if she had a difficult time on set. However, the star clarifies the number of questions. “Of course, the pressure was there. The pressure was pretty big but I think my acting career helped in a lot of ways. I was able to move at my own pace and get into character.”
◆ “From top model Jung Ho Yeon, to North Korean defector Kang Saebyeok.”
Jung Ho Yeon’s way of coping with the nerves of being a first time actress was simple; effort. “I wrote a diary with the thoughts of Saebyeok. I wrote down everything she’s ever experienced. It was important for me to keep her experiences and her alive, within me.”
The actress then turned to perception and empathy. She had thought of the words that Saebyeok’s mother struggled to word as she was getting dragged away by the public officers. Jung Ho Yeon analyzed the life of her character and had pieced the reasons to her cold attitude towards life.
“I had always focused more on succeeding as an individual. I always lived with the idea that we should succeed on our own, with our own efforts. However, Saebyeok is someone who willingly put her life at risk for the sake of her family. It took me a while to get into that aspect of my character.”
Jung Ho Yeon speaks out on the unfortunate events in her character’s life, “I have concluded that Saebyeok’s personality had most likely changed from the moment she watched her mother sacrifice her life. She had also been a victim of fraud a number of times in South Korea. I think all of that had ultimately played, in effect, to the making of my character.”
In turn, the actress had also sought to see a similarity between herself and the North Korean defector. “I had spent a lot of my time, abroad due to my occupation requiring me to travel often. Saebyeok was also out of her home for a while. I like to think she had a hard time as a foreigner. I think I was able to relate to her in terms of feeling like an outcast.”
◆ "A learning experience”
“Squid Game” is a star-studded cast with overwhelmingly famous, A-list veterans such as Jung Jae, Lee Byung Hun, Park Hae Soo, Heo Sung Tae, Kim Joo Ryeong, and Oh Yeong Su. Jung Ho Yeon expressed her gratitude to every single member of the cast.
“There’s a saying that goes ‘There is no answer to acting.’ The set really lived up to that expression. Every one of my seniors had such distinct roles. They all acted in their own ways, and I learned a lot from it. The experience is simply priceless, it’ll forever remain as precious moments in time.”
Jung Ho Yeon also met another actress on set who coincidentally, is the same age as the star. Lee Yoo Mi plays the role as Jiyoung, Saebyeok’s famous partner in the infamous marble game. The actress speaks on the two’s friendship and the help she received. “My first reading session was with Lee Yoo Mi. Yoo Mi had recommended a documentary on North Korean defectors. I remember her telling me ‘What about watching this documentary and finding something from there?’ I was so grateful.”
The actress continued to spill her admiration for the cast. She also went on to explain meeting her role model. Jung Ho Yeon expressed her awe with veteran actor Oh Yeong Su (role of Oh Il Nam) and chose the actor as her role model and icon. “I want to be as passionate and kind-hearted as he is.” The star went further commented on the actor’s outstanding acting skills, “Everyone applauded him during the tug-a-war scene. I won’t ever forget his ability to pull people in with his acting.”
“Actor Oh Young Soo memorized a part of his line for the tug-of-war scene. Everyone was immediately enchanted. His acting pulled us all in and we were taken with his outstanding performance. We watched as if we were ordinary viewers. Then we all gave him a standing ovation. I aspire to be like senior Oh Yeong Su."
The star didn’t forget to mention the director, the mastermind behind the series. She stated, “Director Hwang is very detailed, and doesn’t just skip over anything. Our scripts had also changed multiple times. I knew I was in good hands when I saw us look over our scripts, together, pondering on the best way to go about the story.
◆ "Baby steps in acting and modeling”
"Squid Game" is all the rage these days. It’s been sitting at #1 on the most watched Netflix show for nine consecutive days. International media outlets also suspect Squid Game to be the most watched show in Netflix history.
Jung Ho Yeon herself also made headlines for her acting. “I’m suddenly getting a bunch of DMS from fellow models overseas. I’m getting calls from Paris and Italy. Louis Vuitton designer, Nicolas Ghesquière also told me he enjoyed it. I was shaking.”
The actress explains her future plans to challenge herself in the industry. “I have yet to decide on my next project. It could be a foreign production. I’d like to continue to improve throughout my career.”
The model/actress also addresses her plans on modeling. “Rather than it being a transition of careers, it’s an opportunity that I was lucky to have found. If there isn’t a film or series I’m interested in, or a covid-19 restriction, I have intentions on continuing my modeling career.”
“To be honest, I’m actually very timid and full of thoughts. I’m always thinking of my career and future plans. When things went well, I’d think to myself, ‘Why is it going well?’ and ponder the opposite when it didn’t go well. I had put a lot of thought, trying to find the reasons for these results.”
The model/actress reveals the answer to her questions. “I’ve found that the answer always lied in me. The result of a project is the result of my doings. Had I put in the effort, or not?”
“Why did it do so well? Why didn’t it do well? I learned that it all ended up being a case of my responsibility. It’s what I’ve found. I will continue to work hard at what I do, with responsibility. Please look over me fondly.” (Jung Ho Yeon)
<Photo credits=Saram Entertainment, Netflix>
<Translated by=Justina Kim(Dispatch)>
