Everything To Know About Squid Game's Jung Ho-yeon

Korean model and actor Jung Ho-yeon has quickly become a household name thanks to her role as Kang Sae-byeok in Netflix’s Squid Game. Fans of the talented actor will likely become more impressed by her as they learn about her journey outside of the show.

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Jung’s popularity will undoubtedly continue to soar as more viewers see her portrayal of the courageous Sae-byeok, which is only the tip of the iceberg for the young actor. From her iconic red hair to her massive following on Instagram, there are a ton of fascinating things about Jung that both established and new fans should know.

Age

Jung was born on June 23, 1994, which means she’s 27 years old today. She lives in Seoul, South Korea, but often travels to other countries for her modeling career.

As a Cancer, fans will be glad to know that she’s likely just as sensitive and caring as Sae-byeok on Squid Game. Family and friends matter a lot to Cancers, who will go out of their way to defend and protect the people close to them. Cancers are also highly dependable when it comes to their work, as they will often do everything they can to perform well.

Height

The actor and model is five foot nine and a half, or about 1.76 meters tall (according to Elle). This falls within the range of the average height of models in the industry, which makes sense given Jung’s extensive experience posing for magazines and walking on runways.

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She’s almost as tall as the rest of the actors on Squid Game. She’s only a few centimeters shy of Park Hae Soo and Lee Jung-jae’s 1.81 meters, who play Cho Sang-woo and Seong Gi-hun on the show, respectively.

Language

Fans won’t be surprised that one of the smartest characters on Squid Game is also intelligent in real life. Since Jung was born and grew up in South Korea, she speaks the Korean language and can write in Hangul, but she has also spent a lot of time learning English.

In an interview with models.com, she revealed that she “learned more English” by taking “speech classes and acting classes.” What’s more, she also took accent classes and found them to be “quite fun.” Being bilingual came in handy when she moved to New York, but she admits she felt she needed more practice as “it’s hard” to speak the language when she feels “under pressure.”

Closest Friend

Jung appears to be really close with BLACKPINK’s Jennie, who is featured in several of her Instagram photos. There’s even an image of the K-pop star sitting next to Jung in the set of Squid Game.

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Jennie has been extremely supportive of Jung’s new acting career. In fact, the singer even sent a coffee truck to the show’s set, which Jung posted on her Instagram stories. This Twitter post translates Jennie’s message on the coffee truck, which reminds “actors and staff members” to “please take good care” of Jung.

Social Media Presence

Fans who want to see more of the actor’s activities outside of the show will be glad to know that Jung is very active on Instagram. She’s the most popular Squid Game cast member on social media, with a whopping 14.7 million followers on Instagram.

According to NME, Jung’s massive following has earned her the top spot as the most followed South Korean actor in the world. This means she was able to overtake Song Hye-kyo, an actor known for her role in Descendants of the Sun.

Acting Career

Believe it or not, Jung’s role as the likable Sae-byeok is her first foray onto the big screen. She’s previously expressed interest in becoming an actor, saying that her dream is “actually acting” (according to models.com).

She has achieved this dream in a big way, with Squid Game being on track to become one of Netflix’s most popular shows. This is likely only the start for the actor, who is a big fan of Hollywood directors like Quentin Tarantino. She has mentioned that she wants “to try action” movies eventually.

Modeling Career

Before her debut on Squid Game, Jung was more known as a successful model who started working in the industry when she was just 16 (according to W Magazine). She became a staple in Seoul Fashion Week and even placed as a runner-up on the TV show, Korea’s Next Top Model, in 2013.

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Jung became an international runway regular in 2016 and has appeared in shows by Louis Vuitton, Fendi, and Moschino. She has also graced the covers of popular magazines like Harper’s Bazaar and Love.

Iconic Red Hair

After her stint on Top Model, Jung showed off her fiery red hair during her international runway debut in the Opening Ceremony’s Spring 2017 show during New York Fashion Week. She became known for this iconic hairdo that she would keep for years.

Jung got a haircut and changed her hair color to match her role and blend in with the costumes on Squid Game. She probably could have rocked the red hair on the show to match Gi-hun’s wild hairdo towards the end, though.

Relationship Status

Jung is currently dating actor Lee Dong-hwi, who fans may know for his role as Ryu Dong-ryong in Reply 1988. The two have been together since 2015 and publicly announced their relationship in 2016 (according to Soompi).

She praised her boyfriend in an interview with the publication, saying that “he’s a good senior, a good friend, and a good person.” Jung appreciates how supportive he has been, sharing that, “He’s very proud of the success of Squid Game.” She went on to detail how “He cheers me on a lot, and he worries for me as well. He’s sort of like a dad.”

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