5 things to know about Jung Ho-yeon, the star of Squid Game

Many of us only know her as Player 067 aka Kang Sae-byeok, one of the main characters in Squid Game, the series written and directed by Hwang Dong-hyuk that's blowing up on Netflix, but Jung Ho-yeon is a talented 27-year-old who we'll be hearing a lot more about. Behind her character's melancholy look and under her green jumpsuit, Jung hides a bright future and a past as an influencer and model, but also a boyfriend who is an actor and a very special best friend. Curious?

Here are 5 things to know about the young star.

Jung Ho-yeon is a successful model

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Before starring in the new Netflix hit, HoYeon already had a successful modeling career. Born in South Korea's capital in 1994, she started posing at just 16 years old, but it was her appearance on Korea's Next top model in 2013 that opened her the doors to the fashion world. Finishing second in the reality show allowed her to cross the borders of her country and work around the world first for Louis Vitton and Opening Ceremony and then for brands such as Chanel, Jacquemus, Fendi, Prabal Gurung or Jeremy Scott. She stood out on the catwalks and fashion magazine covers for her beauty and for her fiery character, as hot as the bright red hair she sported a few months ago. The popularity she achieved thanks to Squid Games will surely get her many new job offers, but there are those who had already predicted the success of this charismatic 27-year-old. In 2015, Vogue described her as a mix between Hanne Gaby Odiele and Cara Delevingne:

Take Hanne Gaby Odiele’s flair for street style, add the goofy selfie antics of Cara Delevingne, and you have one of Seoul’s top modeling talents, a redheaded stunner who—we’re calling it now—will be the next Korean girl to make a splash stateside.

The iconic magazine was definitely right!

 Squid Game's Player 067 is in her first acting role

Squid Game marks Ho-yeon's acting debut. The model was working on New York Fashion Week when her management suggested she send in a video audition for the TV series. 

When my CEO told me I’d been casted, the first thing I said was, "Why?" - Jung told W Korea - I was so happy when I heard the news, but it was like a greater fear had taken over me. [I was like] "Thank you very much, but I can do this?" - She added -I remember how I spent all my time reading the script apart from when I ate food. I sent the video in, and the director contacted me, asking me to meet in person. So I dropped everything and flew in right away.

In order to best prepare for the role of Player 067, a North Korean defector who joins the deadly game to get the money she needs to reunite her family, she admitted to watched a lot of documentaries about North Korean defectors and studied with a teacher to speak with the proper accent. Despite the difficulties of playing such an intense character, the 27-year-old had a lot of things in common with Kang Sae-byeok, including the fact that they both moved from their homeland at a young age to seek their fortune.

I am similar to her. In 2016 I left Korea to further my modeling career overseas, and I spent a lot of time alone. At the time, the emotion that I felt the most was "loneliness"…. That feeling of loneliness while trying to persevere and live isn’t all that different. 

She is the most followed South Korean actress on Instagram

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The survival drama created by Hwang Dong-hyuk became unexpectedly and in a few weeks one of the most popular series on Netflix, also exponentially increasing the fame of its actors. No doubt it was Ho-yeon who obtained the most striking result among all the players of Squid Games. A few days after the release of the series, she collected more and more fans, especially on Instagram, going from about 400,000 to over 16,000,000 followers that made her the most followed Korean actress on the social network. If you too, intrigued by her on-screen persona, are curious to peek at her official profile you will find a mix of images from the set, advertising campaigns, selfies and shots with friends or with her boyfriend Lee Dong-hwi. 

She is Louis Vuitton's new global ambassador

Louis Vuitton named Jung Ho-yeon as its global ambassador. The announcement came via social media with a shot in which the model-actress wears a black & white look accessorized with a pair of elegant slingbacks and the new Twist bag.

I immediately fell in love with HoYeon’s great talent and fantastic personality, and I am looking forward to starting this new chapter of the journey we started at Louis Vuitton a few years ago.

Said Nicolas Ghesquière commenting on the news, while Jung said she was excited about the new partnership:

I’m honored to kickstart my acting career with Louis Vuitton, which I’ve worked with throughout my modeling career. I’m looking forward to the partnership as a global ambassador for the brand. I immediately fell in love with Hoyeon’s great talent and fantastic personality, and I am looking forward to starting this new chapter of the journey we started at Louis Vuitton a few years ago.

Her best friend is Jennie from Blackpink

Recently, Ho-yeon excited fans by posting a photo of herself together with Blackpink's Jennie on Instagram. The K-pop star visited her best friend on the set of Squid Game, and was reported to have even sent a coffee truck for the entire crew to support Jung in her new career. The two are both experiencing great success, but they take every opportunity to spend time together and have often been spotted together backstage at fashion shows or at Blackpink concerts.