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This feature delves into extraordinary interviews and stories from around the globe.

"{I hated that I had Asian features, that I lacked light-colored eyes and fair hair, because those were the beauty standards at the time," says the actress, who portrayed the lead character in Netflix's highly successful movie, the K-pop themed animation.

Cho, 40, recalls her early years in the southern state, as the firstborn child of Korean immigrant parents and her journey toward belonging in the United States.

In the movie, which tells the story of a girl group who must rescue humanity from dark powers, the protagonist has to come to terms with her true nature as a hybrid being – and when she first saw the screenplay, this struck a deep chord.

"Growing up in the US, feeling American but having others view me like a foreigner, grappling with my sense of self as an Korean-American, as a Korean-American, as a female," she says.

These were all components of her formative years that mirrored Rumi's journey.

"Truthfully, at various stages in my life, I despised a lot of myself and I longed to become someone else.

"During childhood, what you see influences your development and it seems I lacked exposure to enough people that shared my appearance."

When it debuted on the platform in the summer, KPop Demon Hunters achieved 33 million views in just 14 days, and secured the highest positions of the Netflix charts in dozens of nations. To star in the first Hollywood animated film set in Korea, with Korean leads, was for her "a dream come true" – but it has also established her as a inspiring figure for Asian-American children, the kind that was missing when she was young.

Cho notes many Korean-Americans have told her it's "a breath of fresh air", making them proud for the first time of their mixed background and cultural roots.

"In my view Korean pop music has genuinely broken barriers. Korean cosmetics has had such a big impact 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 film's success was uncertain and the actress admits she felt the team making it were "sometimes facing an uphill battle".

"I feel like it's unfortunate to say this, but any time there's an Asian-led project, people feel like it's a risk," she reveals.

So, when she took on the role, she made an effort to connect with everyone working on the film face-to-face, she adds.

The movie was launched amid heightened enforcement actions in the United States as part of extensive removal policies, which sparked protests in numerous regions.

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

Korean news sources have estimated that up to 150,000 individuals from Korea without proper documentation, including those who were adopted, are among those who could be removed.

As an grown-up, Cho understood that the prejudice she had experienced when she was younger stemmed mainly from a lack of education, as many were unaware what it signified to be of Asian descent.

"However today, in this day and age, when it seems the world and individuals should know better, it is beyond disappointing and at times I feel like there's a sense of despair," she expresses.

Due to this, it feels very special, she notes, that KPop Demon Hunters could bring "hope and joy and love to various groups".

"Maybe that's why it became the season's hit film, because there was a need for some hope and a unifying element as one."

The growth of AI is a major concern for the entertainment sector, creating the potential that in coming years it could be used to make a movie like the animation.

The actress acknowledges she is conscious that AI is already being used to copy performers' vocals, but wants to "maintain faith in people" that individuals will still seek out human-made creativity.

"Sure, I'm sure there will be AI actors and singers. I'm aware they already exist. I know our voices are already being altered, but I hope people have appreciation and want and love for authentic creations."

KPop Demon Hunters has also been leading the global music charts, with multiple songs from its score featured on the prestigious charts. It has its own fan creations, and audiences around the world are demanding a sequel.

She tells us she would like to confirm the inquiry of whether that will happen – but both she and fans will have to wait for the streaming service or the production company, which produced the movie, to give it the green light.

"I know rumors are circulating, I've heard wonderful things," she says. "So we shall see, and I think fans everywhere would protest if it didn't happen."

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