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"{I hated that I had Asian features, that I lacked blue eyes and blonde hair, because that's what was beautiful back then," says the actress, who voiced Rumi in Netflix's chart-topping movie, 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 the United States.

In the film, which narrates the tale of a girl group who must rescue humanity from dark powers, Rumi has to come to terms with her identity as a hybrid being – and when Cho first read the script, this struck a deep chord.

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

These were all components of her early life that mirrored Rumi's journey.

"I can honestly say, at different points in my existence, I hated many parts of me and I longed to become a different person.

"As kids, what you see shapes your development and I feel like I just didn't see enough people that look like me."

When it debuted on the platform in June, the animated feature achieved millions of streams in just two weeks, and secured the highest positions of the Netflix charts in dozens of nations. To be part of the first Hollywood animated film with a Korean setting, with Korean leads, was for Cho "a dream come true" – but it has also made her a powerful role model for Asian-American children, the type that was missing when in her youth.

She 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 has genuinely broken barriers. Korean cosmetics has had a significant influence on global appreciation for Korea. But I feel like this movie is the one that tipped it over the edge, of, inspiring travel to Korea, now," she comments.

But the movie's triumph was not guaranteed and the actress says she felt the team making it were "occasionally struggling against odds".

"It seems it kind of sucks to mention this, but whenever there's an production with Asian leads, it's perceived like it's a risk," she reveals.

So, when she accepted the part, she took steps to meet everyone working on the film face-to-face, she adds.

The movie was released against the backdrop of increased immigration raids in the United States as part of mass deportation efforts, which triggered demonstrations in numerous regions.

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

Korean news sources have suggested that up to 150,000 Korean immigrants without proper documentation, including those who were adopted, are among those who could be removed.

As an adult, she understood that the racism she had encountered when she was younger was largely due to a knowledge gap, as people didn't know what it meant to be of Asian descent.

"However today, in the modern era, when it seems the world and individuals should know better, it is beyond disappointing and sometimes I feel like there's a sense of despair," she expresses.

Due to this, it's particularly meaningful, she notes, that the film could bring "optimism and happiness to all these different communities".

"Maybe that's why it's sort of like 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 future it could be used to make a film like KPop Demon Hunters.

The actress says she is conscious that AI is already being used to copy performers' vocals, but aims to "maintain faith in people" that individuals will still seek out human-made creativity.

"Certainly, I believe they're going to have AI actors and singers. I'm aware they're already here. I understand our voices are already being manipulated, but I trust the public have appreciation and desire for something real."

KPop Demon Hunters has also been dominating the global music charts, with seven tracks from its score featured on the prestigious charts. It has its own fan art, and viewers globally are demanding a sequel.

Cho reveals she wishes she could answer the question of if a sequel is planned – but both she and fans will have to await the platform or the studio, 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 it didn't happen."

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