‘Squid Game’ star Jung Ho-yeon pays homage to Korean culture with SAG Awards look

February 28, 2022

Model-turned-actor Jung Ho-yeon brought home her first ever Screen Actors Guild Award last night for her performance as Kang Sae-byeok in last year’s global sensation “Squid Game.”

Not only did Jung leave audiences stunned by her debut acting role in the drama series, her red carpet look from yesterday’s award ceremony also turned heads, everywhere – especially back in her home country of South Korea.

Tied into the lower section of her braided hair was a “daenggi” made from the same fabric as her custom Louis Vuitton gown, fit for the luxury fashion house’s global ambassador. The ribbon was traditionally used in Korea both as a means to adorn the braided hair while symbolizing social status or different functions.

Jung’s particular style was once representative of unmarried women in the country’s past and is commonly seen in Korean period dramas.

Celebrity hairstylist Jenny Cho, who carefully crafted the look, told Teen Vogue that she was “very emotional” about getting to style Jung’s hair into what she described as a “modern version of the sleek traditional Korean braids.”

The hairstyle matched the rest of Jung’s Korean-inspired gown, which took 210 hours to make – its meticulously placed beads and crystals over black jacquard silk coming together to resemble Korea’s traditional mother of pearl artwork, Chosun reported.

Jung’s homage to her Korean culture follows the recent controversial appearance of the daenggi and its complementary traditional dress, the hanbok, at the opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympics. Prominent Korean celebrities have shared photos of themselves wearing the hanbok in response to what many in Korea viewed as part of an ongoing attempt by China to lay claim to Korean culture.

Featured Image via Getty

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