Ho-yeon Jung

Jung Ho-yeon
Jung in 2024
Jung Ho-yeon
Born	23 6, 1994
Birthplace	Seoul, South Korea
Nationality	South Korean
Occupation	Model, actress
Known for	Squid Game (2021–present), Louis Vuitton global ambassador
Education	Dongduk Women's University
Awards	Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series (2022)

Jung Ho-yeon (Template:Lang; born June 23, 1994) is a South Korean fashion model and actress who rose to international prominence through her dual careers on the runway and in front of the camera. She began modeling as a freelancer at the age of sixteen, walking in Seoul Fashion Week shows before gaining wider recognition as a runner-up on the fourth season of Korea's Next Top Model in 2013. Her striking appearance—particularly her bold red hair—helped establish her as a fixture of international fashion weeks, and she became a Louis Vuitton exclusive model in 2016 before being named a global ambassador for the brand in 2021. Jung made her acting debut in the Netflix survival drama Squid Game (2021), portraying North Korean defector Kang Sae-byeok, a performance that earned her a Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series and a nomination for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series. Her rapid ascent from the fashion world to global acting stardom made her one of the most recognized South Korean cultural figures of the early 2020s.

Early Life

Jung Ho-yeon was born on June 23, 1994, in Seoul, South Korea. She developed an interest in fashion and modeling from a young age and began pursuing a career in the industry while still a teenager. By the age of sixteen, Jung had started working as a freelance model, walking in shows during Seoul Fashion Week beginning in 2010.

In 2013, at the age of nineteen, Jung competed on the fourth season of the South Korean reality television series Korea's Next Top Model. She advanced through the competition and ultimately placed as the runner-up, a result that brought her increased visibility within the South Korean modeling industry. The experience on the show helped solidify her commitment to pursuing modeling professionally and provided her with a platform from which to expand her career beyond the domestic market.

Growing up in Seoul, Jung was immersed in a city known for its vibrant fashion culture, and her early experiences walking local fashion shows provided her with the foundational skills she would later bring to international runways. Her decision to dye her hair a vivid shade of red became a defining element of her early career, distinguishing her from other models and becoming something of a personal signature that fashion editors and designers took note of.

Education

Jung Ho-yeon attended Dongduk Women's University in Seoul. She balanced her academic pursuits with her growing modeling career, which had been active since 2010. Details regarding her specific field of study have not been widely reported in English-language media.

Career

Early Modeling Career (2010–2015)

Jung Ho-yeon began her professional modeling career in 2010 as a freelance model, participating in Seoul Fashion Week shows over the course of two years. Her early work in South Korea's domestic fashion industry gave her experience on the runway and helped her build a portfolio. In 2013, she gained broader public recognition by competing on the fourth season of Korea's Next Top Model, where she finished as the runner-up. Though she did not win the competition, her appearance on the show raised her profile within the South Korean fashion community and opened doors for further opportunities.

During this period, Jung began to develop the distinctive personal style that would later define her international career. She made the decision to dye her naturally black hair a bold shade of red, a choice that set her apart in the industry and became closely associated with her public image.

International Modeling Career (2016–2020)

Jung's career entered a new phase when she made her international runway debut during New York Fashion Week, where her red hair drew attention from fashion editors and casting directors. She quickly established herself as a presence on the global fashion circuit.

In 2016, Jung became a Louis Vuitton exclusive, meaning she walked solely for the French luxury fashion house during that season's major fashion weeks. This was a significant distinction in the modeling industry, as exclusivity arrangements with top-tier fashion houses are typically reserved for models considered to be at the forefront of the industry. Her relationship with Louis Vuitton would prove to be one of the most enduring professional partnerships of her career.

Throughout the late 2010s, Jung continued to build her international modeling portfolio, walking for various designers and appearing in fashion editorials. She became recognized as one of the prominent South Korean models working on the international stage, contributing to the growing visibility of Korean models in Western fashion capitals.

Acting Debut: Squid Game (2021)

In 2021, Jung made a dramatic career pivot when she was cast in the Netflix survival drama series Squid Game, created by Hwang Dong-hyuk. The role marked her professional acting debut. She portrayed Kang Sae-byeok (Player 067), a North Korean defector who enters the deadly competition in hopes of winning enough money to bring her family to South Korea and provide for her younger brother.

In an interview with NME, Jung discussed the experience of being cast in the role, reflecting on how she approached the transition from modeling to acting. The character of Kang Sae-byeok required Jung to convey a complex mix of vulnerability, determination, and restrained emotion, traits that critics noted she brought to the role with subtlety despite her lack of prior acting experience.

Squid Game premiered on Netflix on September 17, 2021, and rapidly became a global cultural phenomenon. The series became the most-watched show in Netflix history at the time, attracting viewers across dozens of countries and sparking widespread discussion about its themes of economic inequality, desperation, and human nature. Jung's portrayal of Kang Sae-byeok was singled out by critics and audiences alike, with many describing her as the breakout star of the ensemble cast.

The success of Squid Game had an immediate and dramatic impact on Jung's public profile. In the weeks following the show's premiere, her social media following surged, and she became the most followed Korean actress on Instagram. Her rise in visibility was compared in Brazilian media to the phenomenon surrounding other cultural figures who experienced sudden, massive increases in public attention.

Following the success of Squid Game, Jung signed with Creative Artists Agency (CAA) in the United States, one of the most prominent talent agencies in Hollywood. The signing was reported by Deadline, which noted that every major agency in the entertainment industry had been competing to represent Jung and her Squid Game co-stars. The CAA signing signaled Jung's intention to pursue acting opportunities in both Korean and English-language productions.

Fashion Ambassador and Brand Partnerships

The explosion of global attention that accompanied Squid Game also elevated Jung's fashion career to new heights. On October 6, 2021—just weeks after the show's premiere—Louis Vuitton officially announced that Jung had been named a global ambassador for the brand, building upon her long-standing relationship with the fashion house that dated back to her 2016 exclusivity arrangement.

The announcement was reported across major fashion and entertainment publications, with Dazed noting that the partnership would see Jung collaborate with Louis Vuitton across a series of special projects. The Cut also covered the announcement, situating it within the broader context of Jung's rapid transition from the modeling world to global celebrity.

In addition to her Louis Vuitton ambassadorship, Jung fronted a campaign for Adidas in October 2021, further expanding her commercial presence in the global fashion and sportswear markets. People magazine documented her evolving relationship with fashion, noting the interplay between her modeling background and her newfound status as an actress-celebrity.

Jung continued to be a fixture on red carpets throughout the following years. In December 2024, she appeared at the Red Sea Film Festival wearing a one-shoulder Louis Vuitton dress that W Magazine described as "a liquid Louis Vuitton confection that was the perfect blend of classic and modern," noting that Jung's red carpet style consistently merged classic Hollywood glamour with contemporary fashion sensibilities. W Magazine also compiled a retrospective of Jung's red carpet appearances in 2023, noting that prior to 2021, "most people outside of the fashion community had never even heard of Ho-yeon Jung."

Continued Career

Jung's career following the first season of Squid Game continued to develop across both acting and fashion. Her relationship with Louis Vuitton remained active through at least 2024, as evidenced by her continued appearances in the brand's designs at major international events. Her representation by CAA positioned her for roles in the English-language entertainment industry alongside her continued work in Korean productions.

The London Evening Standard reported on how Jung's character from Squid Game had become "fashion's hottest property," examining the intersection between her acting fame and her pre-existing modeling career. Italian Vogue similarly profiled Jung's dual career in the context of her Louis Vuitton ambassadorship.

Personal Life

Jung Ho-yeon has maintained a relatively private personal life despite her high public profile. She has been noted in South Korean media and international press for her close relationships with colleagues in the entertainment and fashion industries.

Following the success of Squid Game, Jung relocated to the United States to pursue her acting career, signing with CAA and establishing a presence in the American entertainment industry. Despite her international profile, she has continued to maintain ties to South Korea and the Korean entertainment industry.

Jung's personal style, particularly her signature red hair, has been the subject of considerable media attention. In an interview with Vogue, she discussed her beauty routines and the decision to maintain her distinctive hair color, which became closely associated with her public identity.

Recognition

Jung Ho-yeon's performance in Squid Game earned her multiple award nominations and wins, marking an unprecedented achievement for a debut acting role. In February 2022, she won the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series for her portrayal of Kang Sae-byeok. The win made her one of the first Korean actresses to receive the accolade.

She also received a nomination for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series, further underscoring the critical recognition her performance received in the American television industry. The Emmy nomination placed her among the most established actresses in American television for that cycle.

In 2024, Jung received the Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism's Commendation, a state honor conferred through the Korean Popular Culture and Arts Awards. This recognition from the South Korean government acknowledged her contributions to Korean popular culture and her role in elevating South Korean entertainment on the global stage.

Beyond formal awards, Jung's cultural impact was recognized in numerous other ways. Her rapid rise in social media following—becoming the most followed Korean actress on Instagram in the weeks after Squid Game's premiere—was itself documented as a cultural phenomenon by multiple media outlets. Fashion publications including Vogue, Harper's Bazaar, W Magazine, and Elle covered her evolving career extensively, positioning her as a figure at the intersection of fashion and entertainment.

Legacy

Jung Ho-yeon's career trajectory—from Seoul Fashion Week freelancer to international runway model to globally recognized actress—represents one of the most notable cross-industry transitions in contemporary South Korean entertainment. Her success in Squid Game demonstrated the potential for models to transition into acting at the highest levels of critical and commercial success, and her achievement as a first-time actress winning a Screen Actors Guild Award set a benchmark for debut performances.

Her career has also been situated within the broader context of the Korean Wave (Hallyu), the global spread of South Korean culture through entertainment, music, fashion, and media. The worldwide success of Squid Game was itself a landmark moment in the internationalization of Korean-language television, and Jung—as the series' breakout star—became one of the most visible ambassadors of Korean entertainment to global audiences.

In the fashion industry, Jung's career has been cited as an example of the growing international prominence of Korean models. Her long-standing relationship with Louis Vuitton, dating from her 2016 exclusivity to her 2021 ambassadorship, represented one of the most high-profile partnerships between a Korean model and a Western luxury fashion house. W Magazine noted that her red carpet presence consistently brought together elements of classic glamour and modern fashion experimentation, establishing her as a style figure in her own right.

Jung's impact has extended to how the entertainment industry approaches casting and talent development, particularly the recognition that individuals with backgrounds in modeling or other creative fields can bring distinctive qualities to acting roles. Her portrayal of Kang Sae-byeok—a character requiring physical presence, emotional restraint, and vulnerability—drew on qualities honed during her modeling career while demonstrating capacities that transcended her prior professional experience.