Despite seeming like a veteran actress based on her portrayal of Kang Sae-byeok, it turns out that Squid Game is HoYeon's first acting gig. In fact, she was incredibly shocked and nervous when she found out Netflix had cast her in the role. She told W Korea that a "fear had taken over" and she wondered if she could pull off acting.
HoYeon was able to channel some of her modelling experience into her role on Squid Game, since she experienced a lot of loneliness while modelling overseas, and she felt her character could relate to that loneliness. HoYeon told W Korea about her similarities to Sae-Byeok, saying, "Feelings of loneliness while trying to live and persevere isn't all that different."