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"{I hated that I looked Asian, that I didn't have light-colored eyes and blonde hair, because those were the beauty standards back then," says the actress, who voiced Rumi in the streaming platform's highly successful animated film, the K-pop themed animation.

Cho, forty, recalls her early years in the southern state, as the firstborn child of parents who emigrated from Korea and her struggle for acceptance in the United States.

In the film, which narrates the tale of a female K-Pop trio who must rescue humanity from evil forces, Rumi has to accept her true nature as part human, part demon – and when she first read the script, this resonated powerfully.

"Being born in America, feeling American but having others view me like I'm not, grappling with my identity as an Asian-American, as a Korean-American, as a female," she explains.

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

"I can honestly say, at different points in my existence, I hated a lot of myself and I wanted to be someone else.

"During childhood, what you see influences who you become and I feel like I lacked exposure to enough people that shared my appearance."

When it debuted on the platform in the summer, the animated feature registered millions of streams in just two weeks, and reached the highest positions of the streaming rankings in 93 countries. To star in the pioneering animation set in Korea, with Asian protagonists, was for Cho "an aspiration realized" – but it has also made her a inspiring figure for young Asian-Americans, the kind that was missing when she was young.

She says many Korean-Americans have expressed it's "a breath of fresh air", making them feel pride for the first instance of their dual heritage and culture.

"I feel like K-Pop really, truly, has paved the way. K-beauty has had a significant influence on Korea being loved. But I believe the film is the one that pushed it further, of, inspiring travel to Korea, currently," she comments.

But the film's success was uncertain and Cho says she felt the production crew were "occasionally struggling against odds".

"I feel like it's unfortunate to say this, but any time there's an production with Asian leads, people feel like it's a risk," she says.

So, when she accepted the part, she took steps to meet the entire cast and crew in person, she says.

The film was launched amid increased immigration raids in the United States as part of mass deportation efforts, which sparked protests in many states.

As an Asian-American residing in America "it's heartbreaking and disappointing," she states. "Newcomers have made America what it is."

Korean news sources have suggested that up to one hundred fifty thousand individuals from Korea lacking legal status, including those who were adopted, are among those who could be deported.

As an grown-up, Cho came to realise that the prejudice she had experienced when in her youth was largely due to a knowledge gap, as people didn't know what it meant to be Korean or Asian.

"However today, in this day and age, when it seems the world and people ought to be more informed, it is beyond disappointing and sometimes I feel like we feel so hopeless," she says.

Due to this, it feels very special, she notes, that the film could bring "optimism and happiness to all these different communities".

"Perhaps this explains it became this movie of the summer, because there was a need for some hope and a unifying element as one."

The growth of AI is a significant worry for the film industry, raising the possibility that in coming years it could be used to produce a film like KPop Demon Hunters.

Cho says she is conscious that AI is already being used to replicate actors' voices, but wants to "have hope in humanity" that individuals will still seek out human-made creativity.

"Sure, I'm sure there will be AI actors and singers. I know they already exist. I know performers' voices are already being manipulated, but I trust the public have some respect 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 art, and viewers around the world are demanding a sequel.

She tells us she wishes she could answer the inquiry of if a sequel is planned – but both she and fans will have to wait for the platform or the studio, which produced the movie, to give it the green light.

"I'm aware there's lots of murmurs, the feedback is positive," she says. "So we shall see, and I believe everyone in the world would riot if it didn't happen."

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