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"{I disliked that I had Asian features, that I didn't have light-colored eyes and fair hair, because that's what was beautiful at the time," says the actress, who portrayed the lead character in the streaming platform's chart-topping movie, KPop Demon Hunters.

The performer, forty, is describing 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 narrates the tale of a girl group who must rescue humanity from dark powers, Rumi has to accept her identity as a hybrid being – and when she first read the script, this struck a deep chord.

"Being born in America, feeling American but having others view me like a foreigner, grappling with my identity as an Korean-American, as a Korean-American, as a woman," she says.

These were all aspects of her formative years that paralleled Rumi's journey.

"Truthfully, at various stages in my life, I hated a lot of myself and I wanted to be a different person.

"As kids, what you see influences who you become and it seems I lacked exposure to enough people that look like me."

When it debuted on the platform in June, the animated feature achieved 33 million views in just 14 days, and secured the highest positions of the streaming rankings in dozens of nations. To be part of the pioneering animation set in Korea, with Korean leads, was for Cho "a dream come true" – but it has also made her a powerful role model for Asian-American children, the type that was missing when she was young.

Cho notes many individuals of Korean descent have expressed it's "a breath of fresh air", making them proud for the first instance of their mixed background and cultural roots.

"In my view K-Pop has genuinely broken barriers. K-beauty has had a significant influence on global appreciation for Korea. But I believe this movie 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 not guaranteed and the actress admits she felt the team making it were "sometimes facing an uphill battle".

"It seems it kind of sucks to say this, but whenever there's an production with Asian leads, people feel like it's a risk," she says.

So, when she took on the role, she took steps to connect with the entire cast and crew face-to-face, she adds.

The film was launched amid heightened enforcement actions in the United States as part of mass deportation efforts, which triggered demonstrations in numerous regions.

As an Asian-American living in the US "it's deeply saddening," says Cho. "Immigrants have shaped the nation."

Korean news sources have estimated that up to 150,000 individuals from Korea lacking legal status, including those who were adopted, are among those who could be removed.

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

"But now, in this day and age, when I feel like the world and individuals ought to be more informed, it is beyond disappointing and at times it appears we feel so hopeless," she expresses.

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

"Perhaps this explains it became the season's hit film, because we just needed positivity and a unifying element as one."

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

The actress acknowledges she is conscious that technology is already being used to replicate actors' voices, but aims to "maintain faith in people" that audiences will still seek out art created by humans.

"Certainly, I believe they're going to have AI actors and singers. I'm aware they're already here. I know performers' voices are already being manipulated, but I trust people have appreciation and want and love for something real."

KPop Demon Hunters has also been leading the global music charts, with seven tracks from its score featured on the prestigious charts. It has its own fan creations, and viewers globally are demanding a follow-up.

Cho reveals she wishes she could answer the inquiry of if a sequel is planned – but both she and fans will have to await the streaming service or the studio, 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 everyone in the world would riot if there wasn't."

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