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"{I disliked that I had Asian features, that I didn't have light-colored eyes and fair hair, because those were the beauty standards back then," reveals the actress, who voiced the lead character in Netflix's highly successful animated film, the K-pop themed animation.

The performer, 40, recalls her childhood in Texas, as the eldest daughter of Korean immigrant parents and her journey toward belonging in American society.

In the movie, which tells the story of a female K-Pop trio who must save the world from evil forces, Rumi has to accept her true nature as part human, part demon – and when she first read the script, this resonated powerfully.

"Growing up in the US, identifying as American but having others view me like a foreigner, grappling with my sense of self as an Asian-American, as a Korean-American, as a woman," she says.

These were all aspects of her formative years that paralleled Rumi's journey.

"Truthfully, at various stages in my existence, I hated a lot of myself and I wanted to be someone else.

"During childhood, your surroundings shapes your development and it seems I just didn't see sufficient individuals that look like me."

When it launched on Netflix in the summer, the animated feature achieved 33 million views in just 14 days, and secured the highest positions of the Netflix charts in 93 countries. To be part of the first Hollywood animated film set in Korea, with Asian protagonists, was for her "an aspiration realized" – but it has also established her as a powerful role model for young Asian-Americans, the type that was missing when she was young.

Cho says many individuals of Korean descent have told her it's "a breath of fresh air", making them proud for the first instance of their dual heritage and culture.

"In my view K-Pop has genuinely broken barriers. K-beauty has had a significant influence on Korea being loved. But I believe this movie is the one that tipped it over the edge, of, inspiring travel to Korea, currently," she comments.

But the movie's triumph was not guaranteed and the actress admits she felt the production crew were "occasionally struggling against odds".

"I feel like it kind of sucks to mention this, but any time there's an Asian-led project, people feel like a gamble," she reveals.

So, when she accepted the part, she made an effort to meet the entire cast and crew face-to-face, she says.

The movie was launched against the backdrop of heightened enforcement actions in the United States as part of mass deportation efforts, which sparked protests in numerous regions.

As an Asian-American residing in America "it's heartbreaking and disappointing," says Cho. "Immigrants have made America what it is."

Reports have suggested that up to one hundred fifty thousand individuals from Korea without proper documentation, including those who were adopted, are among those who could be deported.

As an adult, she understood that the prejudice she had encountered when she was younger stemmed mainly from a knowledge gap, as people didn't know what it signified to be of Asian descent.

"However today, in this day and age, when it seems the world and people should know better, it is beyond disappointing and at times it appears we feel so hopeless," she says.

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

"Perhaps this explains it became the season's hit film, because we just needed positivity and a unifying element as one."

The growth of AI is a significant worry for the entertainment sector, creating the potential that in coming years it could be used to produce a movie like KPop Demon Hunters.

Cho acknowledges she is aware that AI is already being used to copy actors' voices, but aims to "maintain faith in people" that individuals will still pursue art created by humans.

"Certainly, I believe they're going to have digital performers and vocalists. I know they already exist. I understand performers' voices are already being altered, but I hope people have appreciation and want and love for authentic creations."

The film has also been leading the international music rankings, with multiple songs from its soundtrack featured on the prestigious charts. It has its own fan art, and viewers around the world are demanding a sequel.

Cho tells us she wishes she could answer the inquiry of whether that will happen – but both everyone involved will have to await the streaming service or the studio, which made the film, to give it the green light.

"I know rumors are circulating, the feedback is positive," she says. "So we shall see, and I believe fans everywhere would protest if there wasn't."

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