Cobra Kai’s Alicia Hannah-Kim, who plays the formidable Kim Da Eun, recently sat down with Cosmopolitan Australia to discuss her role in the hit Netflix series, the importance of Asian representation in media, and her personal connection to Korean culture. “It’s just an honor for me to be there. I mean, Sandra Oh was always like: ‘It’s such an honor to be Asian,’—no, it totally is! It’s such an honor to be Asian and understanding the difference between playing that [role] and then thinking back to myself as a young child and knowing that I didn’t have that representation when I was a kid,” Kim stated.
Kim, an Australian-Korean actress, identifies as a “third culture kid,” having grown up with Korean parents in Australia while primarily consuming Western media. She described a pivotal moment when a non-Korean friend’s father, a fan of the K-drama Crash Landing On You, sparked her interest in exploring her Korean heritage.
“As soon as that door was opened, it hit me like a ton of bricks. It left me with so many conflicting emotions. You kind of have a grief for a culture that you know, but didn’t live. The only place I heard Korean was in my home. So it’s very personal and it was such a watershed moment for me and such a turning point in my life. And it completely changed my life,” Kim explained.
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This newfound connection led her to explore K-dramas and K-pop, becoming a fan of IU and BTS. “I never know who my bias is. Like I want to pick one. And I’ll be in like Suga camp for a little while and then I’m like, do I love Jungkook more? The struggle is very real for me because they’re all so talented,” she shared.
Joining Cobra Kai for its fifth and sixth seasons, Kim took on the role of Kim Da Eun, the first female sensei in the Karate Kid universe. She felt a strong sense of responsibility in portraying the character authentically.
“I really wanted to be specific about her accent and have a backstory for her that represented a global background that was familiar to me and how I grew up. And so [in] that I felt a responsibility for. Also being the first female sensei—let alone the first Asian female sensei—I just want to do my best. I want to do my best and hope that that can be translated,” Kim said. She also worked closely with the show’s creators to develop Kim Da Eun’s unique fighting style, incorporating circular movements and the use of her hair as a weapon.
“For us women, our hair is like the crowning glory for us. It’s interesting to see that your character can use hair as a weapon… It really is her crowning glory,” Kim added.
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Looking ahead, Kim expressed her desire to work on more projects that connect her to her Korean heritage. She recently filmed a Korean series titled Tempest and hopes to collaborate with other Korean actors and filmmakers.
“Yes, that’s literally all I’m interested in! I just filmed a Korean series called Tempest. We have such an international cast and getting to work with director Kim Hee Won, who’s so celebrated in Korea. She did Vincenzo, Little Women… So, you know, getting to now bridge that connection between Korea and Hollywood is really exciting to me,” she said.
Cobra Kai’s final season is available to stream now on Netflix.
