'Squid Game' Star Jung Ho-Yeon Becomes Most-Followed South Korean Actress On Instagram

Jung Ho-yeon has become the most-followed South Korean actress on Instagram following the release of "Squid Game."

The hit Korean survival dram, which was released on Sept. 17, is streaming on Netflix.

The 27-year-old actress' Instagram followers have increased from 410,000 to a whopping 16.7 million in just three weeks. Jung won hearts by portraying a North Korean defector, named Kang Sae Byeok, who takes part in a contest to win a cash prize. She desperately needs the money to save her family members and start a new life.

The actress, in an interview last week, spoke about the increase in her Instagram popularity after working in "Squid Game."

"In the beginning, I was very surprised as I checked in real-time," she told Herald Pop. "When I opened the app once, the number went up, and when I opened it again, it went up further."

"Just the fact that so many people around the world are showing their interest puts me in a good mood," the actress said.

Jung also shared photos of her and her co-stars as they appeared on "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon" on Thursday.

Interestingly, "Squid Game" was Jung's first acting role. Before the series, she used to work as a fashion model. Jung became a model at the age of 16. She was the second runner-up of "Korea's Next Top Model" Season 4 in 2013. She was also featured in various magazines, including ELLE Wedding, Nylon Korea and Vogue Girl Korea.

The actress was chosen to be the global ambassador for fashion company Louis Vuitton on Wednesday.

Though it is not known if Jung would return for a potential sequel of "Squid Game," she is sure to continue her acting career.

"Acting in a new movie or series will be challenging, especially after 'Squid Game,' so I intend not to limit myself to a specific genre," she told The Korea Herald on Monday. "I am left with only one choice, which is to work extremely hard. I want to meet my fans for a long time, as a real actor."

The actress is currently dating South Korean actor Lee Dong-hwi.

Netflix's co-CEO Ted Sarandos told Deadline last week that the series has a good chance of becoming the biggest show ever.