HoYeon Jung is just weeks into her debut acting role as Kang Sae Byeok, aka Competitor 067, in Squid Game, but already, the South Korean model and actress’ fame has skyrocketed.
According to a report from Style Caster, Jung began her modeling career at 16, walking in runway shows during Seoul Fashion Week and competing in Korea’s Next Top Model.
After coming in second in the competition, Jung signed with ESteem Models and The Society Management, the latter of which is based out of New York.
Fame From 'Squid Game'
Throughout Jung’s modeling career, she’s walked in shows for a number of different fashion houses and designers, including Marc Jacobs, Alberta Ferretti, Louis Vuitton, and Fendi. However, it was her role in Squid Game that really garnered her worldwide attention.
Following the release of the first set of episodes, Jung spoke to Vogue, revealing that playing the role of Sae Byeok “changed” her for the better.
“The biggest lesson that Sae-byeok has taught me is that people are stronger when they live for others and with others, rather than chasing after their individual interest,” Jung explained.
Hard Part of Playing Kang Sae Byeok
“That’s the biggest personal change that I went through. In my modeling days, I never faced situations where I had to really think about others, or my family and friends. I didn’t have a sense of responsibility; it was more about my well-being and goals,” she continued.
According to Jung, she found it challenging to play such a selfless individual.
“What was difficult about portraying Sae-byeok is that she’s a character who is willing to give her life for her family,” Jung continued. “I had to ask myself, Would I be able to do that if I were in her shoes? The closer I got to Sae-byeok, the more I understood that this is what made her so strong, and it’s changed me for the better.”
Jung's Per Episode Earnings
When Jung signed on to appear in Squid Game as Kang Sae Byeok, she accepted around a “few hundred thousand Taiwan dollars” per episode, as reported by Today Online. And, according to a report from Showbiz Cheat Sheet, 200,000 Taiwan dollars iequal to $ 7,152, which would mean she likely made somewhere around $ 64,368 for the entire season and $ 7,152 per episode.
[Style Caster] went on to say that Jung was worth an estimated $ 4 million as of 2021, much of which is due to her highly paid social media postings.
How Much is Jung Paid for Social Media Posts?
At the time she landed her first-ever acting role as Squid Game‘s Kang Sae Byeok, Jung had just 400,000 Instagram followers. But today, less than two months into the Netflix series, she has a whopping 23 million followers.
According to research from Influencer Marketing Hub, via Korea Boo, Jung makes around $ 43,000 for each advertisement she shares on her social media pages.
At the time the article was shared, the website noted that with two social media ads that week, the actress could have made up to $ 86,000.
]]>The Inquisitr
