The Glory

The Glory is a South Korean revenge drama written by Kim Eun-sook and directed by Ahn Gil-ho for Netflix. The series stars Song Hye-kyo as Moon Dong-eun, a woman who survives sustained school violence and spends years preparing a carefully controlled retaliation against the people who harmed her. Netflix released Part 1, comprising eight episodes, on December 30, 2022, and Part 2, also eight episodes, on March 10, 2023.

Dong-eun's childhood tormentors include Park Yeon-jin, played by Lim Ji-yeon, the wealthy and socially protected ringleader. Their abuse includes assaults with a hot curling iron, a detail central to the scars Dong-eun carries into adulthood. As an adult, Dong-eun becomes the homeroom teacher of Yeon-jin's daughter, Ha Ye-sol, placing herself inside her former bully's family life. Her plan does not depend on a single act of violence; it works by exposing crimes, lies, class privilege, and the compromises that enabled the perpetrators.

Lee Do-hyun plays Joo Yeo-jeong, a plastic surgeon whose own family history intersects with Dong-eun's campaign. Yeom Hye-ran portrays Kang Hyeon-nam, a victim of domestic abuse who becomes Dong-eun's crucial ally and gathers information about Yeon-jin's circle. The ensemble also includes Park Sung-hoon as Jeon Jae-jun, Kim Hieora as Lee Sa-ra, Cha Joo-young as Choi Hye-jeong, and Kim Gun-woo as Son Myeong-o. Jung Ji-so and Shin Ye-eun portray younger versions of Dong-eun and Yeon-jin.

Its international reach was reflected in Netflix's engagement report for the first half of 2023: The Glory ranked as the period's most watched non-English television title with 622.8 million hours viewed. At the 59th Baeksang Arts Awards, Song Hye-kyo won Best Actress in the television category for her performance, while Lim Ji-yeon received the television Best Supporting Actress award. The show also brought renewed attention to Kim Eun-sook, whose earlier television writing credits include Descendants of the Sun, Guardian: The Lonely and Great God, and Mr. Sunshine.

Rather than presenting Dong-eun's revenge as effortless, the narrative traces the cost of her long preparation: she leaves school, works multiple jobs, studies for the teaching examination, and rents an apartment facing Yeon-jin's home. The present-day investigation is intercut with scenes of the students' 2004 abuse and adults who refused to protect her, including a teacher and her mother. By the finale, Dong-eun's strategy forces the group to confront evidence that links their past cruelty to later crimes. It makes secrets, testimony, and social status decisive weapons throughout.