The 10 top breakout K-drama actresses of 2021, from Jung Ho-yeon of Netflix’s Squid Game – of course – to My Name and Nevertheless’ Han So-hee and Vincenzo’s Jeon Yeo-bin

Never before has the Hallyu Wave swept the globe as strongly as this year thanks to thrilling hits like Squid Game, Vincenzo and Beyond Evil, just to name a few. It has largely resulted in many new young names who could be the next Song Hye-kyo, Jun Ji-hyun or Son Ye-jin.

Interestingly, most of them started off as models, then surprised audiences with their acting skills to gain popularity after just a few projects. If they weren’t already models, they became the fresh faces of fashion and beauty brands not long afterwards through their new-found stardom and millions of followers.

Jung Ho-yeon is no doubt the year’s brightest new star, gaining global fame overnight with her very first TV series, the megahit Squid Game. Before that, she had only walked on the runway for brands like Chanel, Fendi and Louis Vuitton, which signed her as brand ambassador, as per Elle, in October. Her portrayal of badass player No 67, Kang Sae-byeok, an aloof North Korean defector determined to reunite her family, garnered attention for the rookie’s impressive acting chops.

So popular did she become that the 27-year-old star’s Instagram following rose from 400,000 to 23.7 million, making her the eighth most followed celebrity in South Korea, per AllKpop. She is the “wanted” face of brands like Adidas and Calvin Klein, besides being Louis Vuitton’s newest Global House Ambassador.

Another model-turned-actress, Han So-hee first caught viewers’ eyes on TV series The World of the Married (2020). Then, in two top-rated series this year, Nevertheless and Netflix’s My Name, she showed her acting range, from the naive and careless Yu Na-bi in an uncertain romantic tryst, to the vengeful Yoon Ji-woo on the trail of her father’s killer, a role that let her exhibit her skills in martial arts and stunts. Her next project is thriller drama K Project alongside another breakout star of the year, Wi Ha-joon.