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"{I disliked that I looked Asian, that I lacked light-colored eyes and fair hair, because that's what was beautiful at the time," says the actress, who portrayed the lead character in the streaming platform's highly successful animated film, the K-pop themed animation.

Cho, forty, is describing her early years in the southern state, 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 female K-Pop trio who must rescue humanity from dark powers, the protagonist has to accept her true nature as a hybrid being – and when Cho first read the script, this resonated powerfully.

"Growing up in the US, feeling American but having people treat me like a foreigner, grappling with my sense of self as an Asian-American, as a Korean-American, as a woman," she explains.

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

"Truthfully, at different points in my life, I hated a lot of myself and I wanted to be a different person.

"During childhood, what you see shapes who you become and it seems I just didn't see enough people that look like me."

When it launched on Netflix in June, the animated feature registered 33 million views in just 14 days, and secured the top 10 of the streaming rankings in 93 countries. To star in the pioneering animation with a Korean setting, with Korean leads, was for Cho "an aspiration realized" – but it has also established her as a inspiring figure for young Asian-Americans, the type that she lacked when she was young.

Cho says many Korean-Americans have expressed it's "a breath of fresh air", making them proud for the first instance of their dual heritage and cultural roots.

"I feel like Korean pop music really, truly, has paved the way. K-beauty has had such a big impact on global appreciation for Korea. But I feel like this movie is the one that pushed it further, of, everybody wants to go to Korea, currently," Cho says.

But the movie's triumph was uncertain and the actress says she felt the team making it were "occasionally struggling against odds".

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

So, when she took on the role, she took steps to connect with everyone working on the film face-to-face, she says.

The film was launched amid increased immigration raids in the US as part of mass deportation efforts, which triggered demonstrations in numerous regions.

As an person of Asian descent living in the US "it's deeply saddening," says Cho. "Immigrants have made America what it is."

Korean news sources have estimated that up to 150,000 Korean immigrants without proper documentation, including adopted children, are among those who could be deported.

As an adult, she understood that the racism she had experienced when in her youth was largely due to a knowledge gap, as many were unaware what it meant to be of Asian descent.

"But now, in the modern era, when it seems the society and individuals ought to be more informed, it is beyond disappointing and sometimes it appears there's a sense of despair," she says.

Due to this, it feels very special, she notes, that KPop Demon Hunters could bring "optimism and happiness to all these different communities".

"Perhaps this explains it's sort of like this movie of the summer, because we just needed some hope and something to unite us as one."

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

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

"Certainly, I'm sure there will be AI actors and singers. I know they already exist. I know our voices are already being altered, but I hope people have some respect and desire for something real."

KPop Demon Hunters has also been leading the international music rankings, with seven tracks from its score appearing in the prestigious charts. It has its own fan art, and audiences around the world are calling for a sequel.

Cho reveals she would like to confirm the question of whether that will happen – but both everyone involved will have to await the streaming service or the production company, which produced the movie, to give it the green light.

"I'm aware rumors are circulating, the feedback is positive," she shares. "So we shall see, and I think everyone in the world would protest if there wasn't."

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