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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 at the time," reveals the actress, who voiced Rumi in the streaming platform's chart-topping movie, the K-pop themed animation.

The performer, 40, is describing her early years in Texas, as the firstborn child of parents who emigrated from Korea and her journey toward belonging in American society.

In the film, which tells the story of a girl group who must rescue humanity from evil forces, the protagonist has to come to terms with her true nature as part human, part demon – and when she first read the script, this resonated powerfully.

"Being born in America, identifying as American but having people treat me like I'm not, trying to figure out my identity as an Korean-American, as a Asian-American, as a female," she explains.

These were all aspects of her early life that paralleled Rumi's journey.

"I can honestly say, at different points in my life, I hated a lot of myself and I longed to become someone else.

"As kids, what you see influences your development and I feel like I just didn't see sufficient individuals that look like me."

When it debuted on the platform in the summer, KPop Demon Hunters achieved 33 million views in just 14 days, and secured the top 10 of the Netflix charts in dozens of nations. To star in the pioneering animation with a Korean setting, with Korean leads, was for Cho "an aspiration realized" – but it has also made her a powerful role model for Asian-American children, the kind that was missing when in her youth.

She notes many individuals of Korean descent have expressed it's "a breath of fresh air", making them feel pride for the first instance of their mixed background and culture.

"I feel like K-Pop has genuinely broken barriers. K-beauty has had such a big impact on Korea being loved. But I believe the film is the one that tipped it over the edge, of, inspiring travel to Korea, now," Cho says.

But the film's success was uncertain and the actress admits she felt the team making it were "sometimes facing an uphill battle".

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

So, when she took on the role, she made an effort to meet everyone working on the film face-to-face, she says.

The film was launched amid heightened enforcement actions in the US as part of mass deportation efforts, which triggered demonstrations in numerous regions.

As an Asian-American residing in America "it's heartbreaking and disappointing," says Cho. "Newcomers have shaped the nation."

Reports have estimated that up to one hundred fifty thousand Korean immigrants without proper documentation, including adopted children, are among those who could be removed.

As an grown-up, Cho understood that the racism she had experienced when in her youth stemmed mainly from a knowledge gap, as people didn't know what it meant to be Korean or Asian.

"However today, in this day and age, when I feel like the world and people ought to be more informed, it's deeply disheartening and at times it appears there's a sense of despair," she expresses.

Due to this, it's particularly meaningful, she notes, that KPop Demon Hunters could bring "optimism and happiness to various groups".

"Maybe that's why it's sort of like the season's hit film, because there was a need for positivity and a unifying element as one."

The advancement of artificial intelligence is a major concern for the film industry, creating the potential that in coming years it could be used to produce a movie like KPop Demon Hunters.

The actress says she is aware that AI is already being used to copy actors' voices, but aims to "maintain faith in people" that individuals will still seek out art created by humans.

"Sure, I believe there will be AI actors and singers. I'm aware they already exist. I understand our voices are already being manipulated, but I trust the public have appreciation and want and love for something real."

The film has also been dominating the international music rankings, with multiple songs from its soundtrack featured on the Billboard Hot 100. It has its own fan art, and audiences around the world are demanding a follow-up.

She tells us she wishes she could answer the question of whether that will happen – 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, I've heard wonderful things," she shares. "So we shall see, and I think fans everywhere would protest if it didn't happen."

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