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"{I hated that I looked Asian, that I lacked light-colored eyes and blonde hair, because those were the beauty standards back then," reveals the actress, who voiced the lead character in Netflix's highly successful animated film, the K-pop themed animation.

The performer, forty, recalls her early years in the southern state, as the firstborn child of parents who emigrated from Korea and her journey toward belonging in the United States.

In the movie, which narrates the tale of a girl group who must rescue humanity from evil forces, Rumi has to accept her identity as a hybrid being – and when she first saw the screenplay, this struck a deep chord.

"Growing up in the US, identifying as American but having people treat me like a foreigner, trying to figure out my sense of self as an Asian-American, as a Asian-American, as a female," she says.

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

"Truthfully, at different points in my existence, I despised many parts of me and I longed to become someone else.

"As kids, your surroundings shapes your development and it seems I just didn't see enough people that look like me."

When it debuted on the platform in the summer, the animated feature achieved millions of streams in just 14 days, and reached the highest positions of the Netflix charts in 93 countries. To be part of the first Hollywood animated film with a Korean setting, with Asian protagonists, was for Cho "a dream come true" – but it has also established her as a inspiring figure for young Asian-Americans, the type that was missing when she was young.

Cho notes many individuals of Korean descent have told her it's "such a refreshing moment", making them proud for the first time of their dual heritage and culture.

"I feel like K-Pop has genuinely broken barriers. K-beauty has had a significant influence on global appreciation for Korea. But I feel like this movie is the one that tipped it over the edge, of, everybody wants to go to Korea, now," Cho says.

But the film's success was not guaranteed and Cho says she felt the production crew were "sometimes facing an uphill battle".

"It seems it kind of sucks to mention this, but whenever there's an Asian-led project, it's perceived 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 says.

The movie was launched against the backdrop of heightened enforcement actions in the United States as part of extensive removal policies, which triggered demonstrations in numerous regions.

As an person of Asian descent residing in America "it's heartbreaking and disappointing," she states. "Newcomers have shaped the nation."

Korean news sources have estimated 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 prejudice she had encountered when she was younger stemmed mainly from 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 world and people should know better, it's deeply disheartening and at times it appears there's a sense of despair," she expresses.

Because of this, it's particularly meaningful, she notes, that KPop Demon Hunters could bring "hope and joy and love to various groups".

"Maybe that's why it's sort of like this movie of the summer, because there was a need for some hope and a unifying element as one."

The advancement of artificial intelligence is a major concern for the entertainment sector, creating the potential that in future it could be used to produce a film like KPop Demon Hunters.

The actress acknowledges she is conscious that AI is already being used to copy performers' vocals, but wants to "have hope in humanity" that individuals will still seek out art created by humans.

"Certainly, I'm sure there will be AI actors and singers. I know they already exist. I know performers' voices are already being altered, but I hope the public have some respect and want and love for authentic creations."

KPop Demon Hunters has also been dominating the global music charts, with multiple songs from its soundtrack appearing in the Billboard Hot 100. It has its own fan art, and viewers globally are calling for a follow-up.

She reveals she would like to confirm the inquiry of whether that will happen – but both everyone involved will have to wait for the streaming service or the studio, which made the film, to give it the green light.

"I know there's lots of murmurs, I've heard wonderful things," she shares. "So we shall see, and I think fans everywhere would riot if there wasn't."

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