Squid Game’s Lee Yoo-mi chosen as one of Time magazine’s Next Generation Leaders
South Korean actress Lee Yoo-mi, one of the breakout stars of Netflix survival series Squid Game (2021), has been chosen by Time magazine as one of its Next Generation Leaders for 2022.
According to Time, the list focuses on "the rising stars poised to shape the future", as it seeks to elevate "young people from across fields and around the globe who are working to build a better world".
For all latest news, follow The Daily Star's Google News channel. In Squid Game, Lee played the character Ji-yeong, who sacrifices her life for her friend Sae-byeok, played by model Jung Ho-yeon. Jung, 28, was in Time magazine's Time 100 Next list announced in September.
Lee, also 28, made her acting debut at 15 in a 2009 Duracell commercial and did not know what was coming when she auditioned for Squid Game.
Her Instagram followers shot from 40,000 to more than 7 million after Squid Game became Netflix's most-watched non-English series of all time.
The role of Ji-yeong also won her the Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series at the Creative Arts Emmys in September, making her the first South Korean actress to win the award.
Lee also starred in Netflix zombie thriller All Of Us Are Dead (2022), playing Na-yeon, a selfish student who endangered her classmates to survive. Lee received lots of hatred for the character who is the opposite of Ji-yeong.
"I feel grateful," she said in the Time article. "Lots of hate for Na-yeon translates to lots of compliments to me because that means I got immersed in the character."
Lee landed her first leading TV role in Mental Coach Jegal this year, playing the titular character, while she has another leading role in TV series Strong Woman Gang Nam-soon, which is scheduled to premiere in the first half of 2023.
Lee said in the Time article that she tried to stay grounded despite her newfound fame.
"The global recognition further strengthened my mindset that no matter how things change around me, I should remain who I am," she said.
Others on the list of Next Generation Leaders include K-pop girl group Aespa, English and Arsenal football player Bukayo Saka and Chinese-Canadian chef Gary Yin.
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