THE GLOBAL PHENOMENON

Hoyeon, 27, has been modelling since she was 16. She became a global star as the female lead in the Netflix series Squid Game

Could you ever have imagined the reception Squid Game

would get?

I hoped it would do well because we all put so much hard work and effort into it, but I never imagined that it would have the global reach it did. I am super proud of the team. I wanted to go back to the set and throw a party for the whole cast and crew and give them a warm hug.

The series is dark but was the atmosphere on set fun?

Yes, at lunch we used to play the children’s game Crocodile

Dentist. Though our rule was if you get bitten by the crocodile then you have to buy everyone drinks or dessert.

How did you research your role by talking to people who had defected from North Korea, as your character had?

I watched a documentary called Madame B about a woman who leaves her husband and sons behind in North Korea to seek a better life in China, but gets sold to a farmer by smugglers. She eventually becomes a smuggler herself just to survive and be able to earn enough money to reunite with her sons, who she manages to get to Seoul.

When you were modelling, you were known for your red hair. How did that come about?

I dyed it reddish brown when I was modelling in Korea. Then the day before I flew to New York for the first time, I went to the salon and asked them to add a little more red because I wanted a change. The red turned out much more vibrant and strong but I liked it. So it was half deliberate and half accidental.

What secret talent do you have that will surprise people?

Swimming. I used to participate in competitions when I was 14 years old – although I always came second.