A fan favorite of Netflix’s huge hit show Squid Game has proven to be none other than an individual whose debut acting role was made on the show, actress HoYeon Jung.
She plays the down-and-out North Korean defector and pick-pocketer Kang Sae-byeok in the series, which centers around financially destitute people getting recruited by a shadowy organization into a macabre winner-take-all contest. The participants are pitted against each other in a series of children’s games whose ultimate prize is a life-changing sum, but if a contestant loses in the game, they die.
According to Forbes, Jung’s Instagram account has absolutely skyrocketed since the show became a global success on track to set the record for most-viewed series on the streaming platform. She gained 15 million followers in just three weeks, becoming the most followed South Korean actress on Instagram.
Before the show premiered on September 17th, Jung had 410,000, but she wasn’t some societal outcast like the character she plays in the show. Far from it.
In fact, Jung has had a successful modeling career prior to being on the Netflix show, donning the cover of both Vogue Japan and Vogue Korea and was previously Models.com’s Model of the Year in 2017.
Other actors from the show have also seen a surge in followers, such as Wi Ha Jun, who plays the undercover cop Wang Jun-Ho with 5.2 million followers, and Lee Yoo-mi, who had a short but emotional role as Jung’s friend Ji-yeong with 4.4 million followers.
You can watch Squid Game right now on Netflix.