I don’t know about you, but I have always been obsessed with the concept of an overnight star. Something as unattainable as fame being suddenly thrust into someone’s hands at the speed of light feels like a real-life soap opera that I simply cannot look away from.
We recently witnessed it with Olivia Rodrigo, who went from being a big Taylor Swift fan to beating Swift’s monumental streaming records all within a month of dropping her first album. But what separates these overnight icons from other celebs? While the early 2000s were no stranger to industrial plants, today’s success stories like this are rooted in talent. Hoyeon Jung, a South Korean model, and actress is no exception to this rule.
In the past month, since the hit Korean-drama Squid Game premiered on Netflix, it has become the most-streamed show in the history of Netflix originals. Hoyeon Jung, who plays Kang Sae-Byeok, or number 067, has become a worldwide phenomenon since its premiere. Her acting chops put her on the forefront as a highlight of the series, as she played a powerful girl who defected from North Korea and was willing to risk everything to ensure a better life for her and her brother. Before the premiere on September 17th, she had approximately 400k followers on Instagram. Now she has 21.5 million and counting (one of those 21.5 million is Zendaya, which is the ultimate goal).
Hoyeon Jung’s success story plays out like a Greek Prophecy, where every choice she made throughout her career was undoubtedly pointing toward her becoming the powerhouse she is today. Maybe it’s because I am a big believer in astrology, but I truly think the stars were aligned for her.
And let me clarify, while Hoyeon has suddenly reached worldwide recognition, this girl has been hard at work making a name for herself since she walked her first designer show with Louis Vuitton in 2016. That is why it feels like fate that she was signed as a global ambassador for Louis Vuitton just last week.
It is hard ‘nowadays’ to find fashion content that makes your breath catch- or your heart flutter in such an oversaturated industry. Hoyeon’s work as an actress is heart-wrenchingly beautiful, but what is almost even more impressive to me is how capable she is of punching that emotion into her work as a model as well. Her editorials have this visceral, honestly unmatched effect, making her a force to be reckoned with in everything that she does. Her balance between the film and fashion industries solidifies her as the next “it” girl, and I cannot wait to see what she does next.
Written by Anna McGregor.
Graphic by Caden Reese.