By Kynesha Robles
Prior to her first fan meeting in Manila last November 11, South Korean model and actress Jung Ho-Yeon held a press conference in Ortigas and talked about her career and her seemingly overnight success with Netflix hit “Squid Game.”
“Since ‘Squid Game’ and the success of the show, things kind of took off for my career. My following also skyrocketed, and I became the most followed Korean actress,” she said.
Translated by host Sam Oh from Korean to English, Ho-Yeon shares that she keeps herself grounded by intentionally taking some time alone. “Because I first need to understand what is happening to me and what I am feeling. I need to take some time out to process all of that and kind of arrange my thoughts,” she said.
“From there, I also go further by thinking, ‘having had this experience, what am I going to do moving forward?’ I wouldn’t go so far as to say I’m planning out my next steps, but it’s really just about giving myself the mental and emotional space and to process all of it, and then go from there,” she added.
When asked what her top three highlights of the year were, Ho-Yeon recounted the time she brought her mother to the 2022 Emmy Awards in Los Angeles, California. “That was one of the biggest things that happened in my life,” she said.
She also recounted her win for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series at the Screen Actors Guild Awards last February 2022, “I’ve never been through that kind of roller coaster in (a matter) of few hours. It stays with me until now.”
She rounded up the list with her upcoming project with Apple, a series titled “Disclaimer”, ““The chance to work with Alfonso Cuarón and Cate Blanchett was one of the most magical, surreal experiences of my life.”
Ho-Yeon shared that she is adventurous and greedy in her career, and that she does not have on specific role she dreams of playing. “I want to try all kinds of genres and play all kinds of characters.”
“When I am offered a new role, I like to take my time to get to know the character. In my experience, the first time I meet the character, or the second or third time, the experience is always different,” she said.
“Something that I ask my management, or the people involved in the project, is if I could have that time with her character before I take on the role,” she added.
After “Squid Game,” fans are anticipating Ho-Yeon’s next project. She teased that she has two upcoming shows and one upcoming film: the Apple series “Disclaimer,” A24 film “The Governesses,” and Netflix series “Korean Fried Chicken.”
“My friends told me, ‘why did you choose ‘Squid Game’ and then ‘Fried Chicken’?” she joked. “Oh, what a coincidence!”
