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Hanh Vu

Reaching the pinnacle of showbiz success can take years for many celebrities, but it seems that some actors can emerge out of obscurity and rise to global stardom after only one successful breakout role.
From Squid Game’s Jung Ho-yeon to It’s Okay to Not Be Okay’s Seo Ye-ji, here’s a list of K-drama stars who became famous overnight.
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Jung Ho-yeon (Squid Game)

Survival drama series Squid Game became Netflix’s most watched series with 111 million viewers, winning both fan approval and critical acclaim. And model-turned-actress Jung Ho-yeon – who portrayed Kang Sae-byeok (Player 067), a North Korean defector-turned-pickpocket – joined the league of international celebrities.

Interestingly, the 27-year-old actress’ performance in Squid Game actually marked her debut in the acting world, and her success was almost instantaneous. Within a month of Squid Game’s release, her Instagram followers rose by more than 13 million in under three weeks, making her the most-followed South Korean actress, according to Business Insider. Jung currently has 21.4 million Instagram followers.
Seo Ye-ji (It’s Okay to Not Be Okay)

Seo Ye-ji has played several lead roles in TV series such as Save Me (2017) and Lawless Lawyer (2018). Nevertheless, Seo’s breakout role was the character Ko Moon-young in It’s Okay to Not Be Okay, a romantic TV series airing on TVN and Netflix that went viral and garnered national and international praise for its storyline, visuals and mental health theme.

With the success of It’s Okay to Not Be Okay, Seo was nominated for prestigious awards and became the hottest celebrity of 2020.
However, Seo is currently facing a number of scandals involving her ex-boyfriend and bullying accusations.
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Lee Ji-ah (The Legend)

Migrating to the US with her family at a young age, Lee Ji-ah spent 10 years there before returning to South Korea and making her debut in the entertainment industry in 2004. In 2007, the actress portrayed the character Sujini in big-budget TV show The Legend, co-starring alongside A-list actor Bae Yong-joon. She went from an unknown actress to a superstar almost overnight after appearing in the show.

Lee was also secretly married to famous K-pop singer Seo Taiji for nine years from 1997, but they got divorced in 2006, according to The Korea Herald. The actress demanded a multimillion-dollar settlement, according to the same source.
She returned to the small screen after a four-year hiatus in 2017 with her role in My Mister. In 2020, she starred in hit series The Penthouse: War in Life.
Han So-hee (The World of the Married)

Joining K-showbiz in 2016, Han So-hee made her first appearances in K-pop music videos, such as Shinee’s Tell Me What To Do and Roy Kim’s The Hardest Part, and she modelled for several brands such as All@Me and Banila Co. But it was her role as the young mistress Yeo Da-kyung in The World of the Married that led her to prominence, casting a light on her acting talents.

With the series’ commercial success, Han won several important awards, such as the best rising star actress at the Korea First Brand Awards and rookie of the year at the Asia Artist Awards, and she was nominated for best actress at The 56th Baeksang Arts Awards.
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Jung Ho-yeon, Seo Ye-ji, Lee Ji-ah and Han So-hee all rose to fame overnight with successful K-drama roles. Photos: Netflix, TVN, @e.jiah/Instagram

 Jung Ho-yeon saw her popularity skyrocket after her debut role in Squid Game. Photo: @hoooooyeony/Instagram

Jung Ho-yeon has become the most-followed Korean actress on Instagram. Photo: @hoooooyeony/Instagram

Seo Ye-ji started in TVN and Netflix series It’s Okay to Not Be Okay. Photo: @seoyeji_ig/Instagram

Seo Ye-ji in a still from It’s Okay to Not Be Okay. Photo: Netflix.

Lee Ji-ah’s breakout role in The Legend saw her become an overnight success. Photo: @e.jiah/Instagram

Lee Ji-ah in Penthouse: War in Life. Photo: @e.jiah/Instagram

Han So-hee’s performance in The World of the Married put her in the spotlight. Photo: @xeesoxee/Instagram

Han So-hee in the drama The World of the Married. Photo: JTBC/Handout

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Tottenham Hotspur’s South Korean striker Son Heung-min celebrates after his cross sets up midfielder Lucas Moura to score during an English Premier League football match at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London, on October 3, 2021. Photo: AFP

Jisoo attended one of Son’s games and updated her Instagram story. Photo: Busan Ilbo

Rumours have been swirling around Son and Jisoo for two years. Photo: @sooyaaa_/Instagram

Jisoo posted a photo of her flight back to South Korea from Paris. Photo: @sooyaaa__/Instagram

South Korea’s Son Heung-min dribbles the ball during his country’s final match, against Syria, in the Asian zone group A qualifying for the 2022 Fifa World Cup, in Ansan, South Korea, on October 7, 2021. Photo: AP

Blackpink’s Jisoo is an ambassador for luxury brand Dior. Photo: @dior/Instagram

Son has been linked to other female celebrities in the past. Photo: @hm_son7/Instagram

Squid Game: 10 things you probably missed in Netflix’s wildly popular K-drama survival series phenomenon

Welcome to Squid Game, where cryptic clues are rife, and you probably missed more than you understood. Photo: Netflix

The game uses colourful squares of folded paper. Photo: Netflix

The photos could symbolise how different Ga-yeong’s relationships are with her parents. Photo: Netflix

Both have a grey exterior and pink bow. Photo: Netflix

His phone makes the camera-shutter noise. Photo: Netflix

Ho-Yeon with fellow Squid Game cast members Lee Jung Jae and Park Hae Soo. Photo: Netflix

Oh Yeong-su in a still from Squid Game. Photo: Netflix.

The 1999 binder has a player one, but the 2020 one doesn’t. Photo: Netflix

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Ali has his marbles stolen from him, which gets him killed. Photo: Netflix

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Why is Blackpink’s Lisa still being ‘mistreated’ by YG Entertainment? Fans launch boycott after Bulgari said she was not allowed to attend Paris Fashion Week, even though Jennie, Rosé and Jisoo did

Why didn’t Lisa travel as much as her Blackpink bandmates in recent months? Photo: @lalalalisa_m/Instagram

Blackpink member Lisa wears a golden Thai headdress in the music video for Lalisa. Photo: YouTube

Blackpink’s Lisa performs at the Sahara Tent during the 2019 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in Indio, California. Photo: Getty Images 

The hashtag #YGLetLisaDoHerWork began trending after Blackpink’s Lisa did not attend the Bulgari spring/summer 2022 show. Photo: @lalalalisa_m/Instagram

Rosé attending fashion shows in Paris. Photo: @roses_are_rosie/Instagram

Blackpink’s Lisa’s debut solo single Lalisa broke multiple records. Photo: @lalalalisa_m/Instagram

Blackpink’s Lisa is the global brand ambassador for Bulgari. Photo: @lalalalisa_m/Instagram

Blackpink’s Lisa was a guest juror for the prestigious Andam fashion prize. Photo: YouTube

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Seo Ye-ji obtained a certification for her hobby of folding origami. Photo: @seoyeji_ig/Instagram

Seo Ye-ji played Go Moon-young in the hit drama series It’s Okay to Not Be Okay. Photo: @seoyeji_ig/Instagram

Solar’s certification of laughter therapy is certainly unique. Photo: @yongsunyeba/Instagram

Solar is the leader of popular girl group Mamamoo. Photo: @yongsunyeba/Instagram

Kim Tae-hee got her scuba diving certificate after wanting to overcome her fear of water. Photo: @frangipani_rose/Instagram

Kim Tae-hee obtained her certification during her off-time. Photo: @frangipani_rose/Instagram

Lee Byung-hun attending the 2021 Cannes Film Festival. Photo: @byunghun0712/Instagram

Lee Byung-hun sure does love his coffee – you can frequently see him at coffee trucks on filming sets. Photo: @byunghun0712/Instagram

Minah obtained her licence to operate heavy machinery after getting cast on a variety show. Photo: @bbang_93/Instagram

Meet Squid Game’s Jung Ho-yeon, Blackpink member Jennie’s bestie and model-turned-Netflix-star who’s walked for Chanel, Louis Vuitton and Marc Jacobs

Netflix’s Squid Game star Jung Ho-yeon wearing Chanel. Photo: @hoooooyeony/Instagram

Jung Ho-yeon marked her debut as an actress with South Korean psychological thriller Squid Game. Photo: @hoooooyeony/Instagram

Jung Ho-yeon has modelled for Louis Vuitton, Marc Jacobs, Burberry, Chanel and more. Photo: @hoooooyeonyfan/Instagram

Jung Ho-yeon plays a North Korean pickpocket in Netflix hit Squid Game. Photo: @hoooooyeony/Instagram

Jung Ho-yeon was passionate about acting and decided to change her career trajectory. Photo: @hoooooyeony/Instagram

Jung Ho-yeon with fellow Squid Game cast members Lee Jung-jae and Park Hae-soo. Photo: @hoooooyeony/Instagram

Jung Ho-yeon says she prepared for the role of Sae-byeok in Squid Game by watching documentaries about North Korean defectors. Photo: @hoooooyeony/Instagram

Jung Ho-yeon with Reply 1988 actor Lee Dong-hwi. Photo: @yoonjujang/Instagram

Lee Dong-hwi starred in the hit series Reply 1988. Photo: @dlehdgnl/Instagram

Who else can brag that Blackpink’s Jennie is one of their close friends? Photo: @hoooooyeony/Instagram

Jung Ho-yeon spent time abroad to pursue her dream of modelling. Photo: @hoooooyeony/Instagram

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Squid Game’s Jung Ho-yeon is the most-followed South Korean actress on Instagram, while Seo Ye-ji was the hottest celebrity of 2020
Han So-hee skyrocketed to fame after starring in The World of the Married and modelling for several fashion brands such as Banila



Some celebrities have a long climb to success but others, like Squid Game’s Jung Ho-yeon and It’s Okay to Not Be Okay star Seo Ye-ji, skyrocket to fame after one successful breakout role …
