8 Facts About Jung Ho Yeon Who Played Kang Sae Byeok AKA Player 067 In Netflix's Squid Game

By Jean on 01 Oct 2021

Digital Editor

Netflix's latest Korean thriller Squid Game has been the talk of the town with memes and theories making their rounds on social media. Amongst a cast of experienced actors like Lee Jung Jae AKA Player 456 and Wi Ha Joon AKA the policeman who infiltrated the game in search of his brother, a fresh face won the hearts of audiences with her emotive acting skills. She's none other than Jung Ho Yeon, who played Kang Sae Byeok AKA Player 067 in the 9-part series.

Here are 8 facts about Jung Ho Yeon who was propelled to fame with Netflix's Squid Game.

Read on to find out about Jung Ho Yeon AKA Kang Sae Byeok in Squid Game!

#1 Amassed millions of followers since the premiere of Squid Game

Photo from @hoooooyeony via Instagram

Since the premiere of Netflix's Squid Game on 17 September, the number of followers on Ho Yeon's Instagram has skyrocketed from 400,000 to 9.6 million (at the time of writing) and we're expecting her followers count to further increase in the next couple of weeks.

#2 Started modelling since she was 17

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A post shared by HoYeon Jung(Chung) (@hoooooyeony)

In an interview with Models.com, Ho Yeon revealed that she joined a model agency at the age of 17 under the encouragement of her peers. It was only in 2016 that she made her international model debut as an exclusive model to Louis Vuitton and has since been dubbed "Korea's Next Top Model" by Vogue.

#3 She's dating "Reply 1988" actor Lee Dong Hwi

Photo from @dlehdgnl via Instagram

In that same year, the model also publically announced her relationship with "Reply 1988" actor Lee Dong Hwi who's 9 years older than her.

#4 Squid Game marks her acting debut

Photo from @hoooooyeony via Instagram

Ho Yeon might be a household name in Korea's fashion scene but when it comes to acting, the model revealed that she felt scared and apprehensive as Squid Game marked her first foray into acting. Even after being selected for the role, Ho Yeon admitted that she was under immense pressure having to cross scenes with her co-stars – all of who were experienced actors. However, her fears turned out to be unfounded when fans praised the rookie actor for her emotive performance in the series.

#5 Relates deeply to her character Kang Sae Byeok as both had experienced loneliness

Photo from @hoooooyeony via Instagram

In an interview with Sportskeeda, Ho Yeon disclosed that she shares a deep connection with her character Kang Sae Byeok as loneliness was a common emotion they both experienced. As a model who worked abroad for years and had spent most of her time in solitude, Ho Yeon shared that she empathised with her character Sae Byeok – a North Korean defector who wanted to reunite with her family.

#6 Blackpink's Jennie is a close friend of hers

A post shared by HoYeon Jung(Chung) (@hoooooyeony)

Just 4 days ago, Ho Yeon took to Instagram to share a picture of herself and Blackpink's Jennie on the filming set of Squid Game, much to the envy of Blinks. Turns out, the singer and model are close friends! Apart from paying Ho Yeon a personal visit, Jennie had also sent a food truck to the set to support her bestie.

Jennie sent a food truck to support her friend, fashion model Hoyeon Jung

“Actors and staff members~ please take good care of dawn unnie.”
-Jennie ♡#Jennie #제니 @BLACKPINK pic.twitter.com/3JbN5mRuYr

— JENNIERAZZI (@jennierazzi) July 9, 2020

What a sweet gesture!

#7 Filmed her audition clip for Squid Game while preparing for New York Fashion Week

Photo from @hoooooyeony via Instagram

Speaking with W Korea, Ho Yeon, now managed by Saram Entertainment, revealed that she was asked to audition for her role in Squid Game barely a month after signing her contract with the entertainment company. The model, who was then preparing for New York Fashion Week said that the casting call came as a surprise to her as she had expected her agency to provide her with further training before pitching her for acting gigs.

#8 Loves action flicks and sees herself acting in one

Photo from @hoooooyeony via Instagram

As a huge fan of American director Quentin Tarantino, the star hopes to take on future roles in action flicks such as Kill Bill. With such an outstanding performance in Squid Game, we're excited for the 27-year-old to take Korea's entertainment industry by storm!