Meet Squid Game’s Jung Ho-yeon, Blackpink member Jennie’s bestie and model-turned-Netflix-star who’s walked for Chanel, Louis Vuitton and Marc Jacobs

Sep 29 , 2021

Netflix’s Squid Game star Jung Ho-yeon wearing Chanel. Photo: @hoooooyeony/Instagram

Jung made her acting debut playing the North Korean defector Sae-byeok in the psychological thriller K-drama, amassing millions of Instagram followers since

She kick-started her career on Korea’s Next Top Model then switched to acting, saying she could see herself in action flicks like Quentin Tarantino’s Kill Bill

South Korean psychological thriller Squid Game is a nine-episode hit that gets your heart racing as it pits 456 players against each other in life-or-death childhood games. It also stars veteran actors and fresh faces alike, including a newcomer on the small screen: Jung Ho-yeon.

Jung Ho-yeon marked her debut as an actress with South Korean psychological thriller Squid Game. Photo: @hoooooyeony/Instagram

Jung plays a North Korean defector named Sae-byeok. She gets by as a pickpocket and enters the bloody contest out of desperation like the other players, as she needs a huge sum of money to reunite with her brother who’s staying in an orphanage, and her mum who’s still stuck in their home country.

Here are six things to know about Jung …

She’s a world-class model

Jung Ho-yeon has modelled for Louis Vuitton, Marc Jacobs, Burberry, Chanel and more. Photo: @hoooooyeonyfan/Instagram

Before her Netflix fame, Jung was already making a name for herself as a fashion model; the 27-year-old has been modelling since she was 16. In 2013, she was a runner up in the fourth season of Korea’s Next Top Model, launching her career in fashion, which led to appearances in various runway shows like Seoul Fashion Week.

Then Jung went global. She signed with Elite Model Management (The Society Management in New York) and took part in several catwalks. The first one was for Louis Vuitton in 2016. She then went on to walk for Marc Jacobs, Burberry and Chanel.