Warning - this article contains major spoilers for Squid Game season 3

Devotees of Squid Game might be surprised to learn that a key character from the second and third seasons was already a global sensation before joining the Netflix sensation.

The wildly popular K-drama concluded its final season in late June, with a contentious ending for Seong Gi-hun (portrayed by Lee Jung-jae) and the Front Man (Lee Byung-hun).

Despite some criticism over the finale, the series has catapulted South Korean television into the global spotlight like never before, turning its already impressive cast into international celebrities.

Among them is Jo Yu-ri, who entered the Netflix hit's second season as Kim Jun-hee, a pregnant woman participating in the games who discovers her ex-boyfriend and the father of her child, Lee Myung-gi (Im Si-wan), is also a player, reports the Mirror US.

Jun-hee quickly won over fans, her narrative leaving audiences heartbroken when she's compelled to sacrifice herself following the unexpected birth of her baby.

However, viewers outside Korea may not realise that Jo isn't just an actress - the 23 year old star was actually a big name in Korean and Japanese pop music until recently.

From 2018 to 2021, Jo was part of the successful girl group Iz*One, which was formed through the Mnet reality show Produce 48.

Kicking off as Produce 101 in 2016, this wildly successful talent show has been captivating audiences by whittling down hopefuls to form a new K-pop sensation.

Produce 48 threw 96 hopefuls into the limelight over 12 nail-biting episodes, culminating in Jo and 11 others being crowned as members of Iz*One.

The group was rounded out by stars Jang Won-young, Sakura Miyawaki, Choi Ye-na, An Yu-jin, Nako Yabuki, Kwon Eun-bi, Kang Hye-won, Hitomi Honda, Kim Chae-won, Kim Min-ju, and Lee Chae-yeon.

Despite its soaring popularity and international spin-offs, the Korean edition of the series met an untimely end due to a vote-rigging scandal that led to arrests among producers and agency execs.

Yet, the idols' careers have soared post-scandal, with Jo making waves in the latest instalments of Squid Game.

A fan exclaimed on X (formerly Twitter): "jo yuri really did an amazing job in squid game.

"Her acting skills was so good like that's my girl! someone give her the awards already!! i am so proud of her."

Echoing the sentiment, another admirer suggested she's a shoo-in for accolades: "yuri's acting this season of squid game is just wow... like that emmy is secured."

Is the ex-idol poised to snag some hardware in the upcoming awards circuit?

Squid Game is available to stream on Netflix.