# The Glory (TV series)

The Glory (Korean: 더 글로리) is a South Korean revenge psychological thriller television series written by Kim Eun-sook and directed by Ahn Gil-ho for Netflix. Song Hye-kyo, Lee Do-hyun, Lim Ji-yeon, Yeom Hye-ran, Park Sung-hoon, and Jung Sung-il round out the ensemble cast.
The series was divided into two parts: Part 1 was released on December 30, 2022, and Part 2 was released on March 10, 2023, both to critical acclaim and viewership success. It received eight nominations at the 59th Baeksang Arts Awards, winning three: Best Drama, Best Actress for Song Hye-kyo, and Best Supporting Actress for Lim Ji-yeon.

## Premise

Moon Dong-eun, a former victim of school violence, plans and seeks revenge on her bullies after taking up a job as a homeroom teacher at the elementary school of the bully leader's child (Ha Ye-sol). Some scenes are based on a true event in 2006 when a group of middle schoolers from Cheongju, South Korea, extorted money from their classmate for about a month, repeatedly beating and burning her using objects in the process.

## Cast
### Main

* Song Hye-kyo as Moon Dong-eun
** Jung Ji-so as young Dong-eun
    The homeroom teacher of Class 1-2 of Semyeong Elementary School. During her high school days, she was the target of constant bullying and physical abuse by Yeon-jin and her group. She eventually quit school and then started an elaborate plan of revenge on Yeon-jin's group for ruining her life.
* Lee Do-hyun as Joo Yeo-jeong
    A plastic surgeon who worked at the Seoul Joo General Hospital, where his mother is the director. He teaches Dong-eun Go, and has had a crush since their university days. He also has his own reasons for helping Moon get vengeance on Park and her cronies, as he wants to get to the bottom of his physician father's murder by a prisoner whose life his father was trying to save.
* Lim Ji-yeon as Park Yeon-jin
** Shin Ye-eun as young Yeon-jin
    A weather presenter at a television station. She led the group of delinquents in bullying and physically abusing Dong-eun during high school. She passes off her and Jae-joon's six-year-old illegitimate daughter Ye-Sol as her wealthy husband's child. She was the ringleader of all of the suffering Moon and other less richer students endured. She had even caused one of her victims to catch fire from a lighter and fall to her death. Her true nature is ultimately exposed, and is arrested and finally begins to endure what she put Moon through nearly two decades prior.
* Yeom Hye-ran as Kang Hyeon-nam
    A housekeeper who worked at the home of Semyeong Foundation's president. She, along with her fourteen-year-old daughter, suffers from domestic violence perpetrated by her husband. She helps Dong-eun in the latter's revenge by becoming her sleuth, in exchange for the killing of her abusive husband.
* Park Sung-hoon as Jeon Jae-joon
** Song Byeong-geun as young Jae-joon
    The color blind heir of a country club. He was part of the group that constantly abused Dong-eun eighteen years prior. He is the biological father of six-year-old Ye-Sol, of whom he tries to get custody.
* Jung Sung-il as Ha Do-yeong
    Yeon-jin's husband and CEO of Jaepyeong Construction. He is caught in the long-planned trap of Dong-eun and encounters a Pandora's Box that threatens the happiness of his family. He is the complete opposite of his wife, and detests her misdeeds and unremorseful behavior. He divorces her and moves to the United Kingdom as Ye-Sol loves soccer.

### Supporting
#### Sunghan High School (2004–2006)

* Cha Joo-young as Choi Hye-jeong
** Song Ji-woo as young Hye-jeong
    A flight attendant whose parents are owners of a dry cleaning shop. She was part of the group that constantly abused Dong-eun, although she was one of the lowest authority in the group as she lacked a rich background.
* Kim Hieora as Lee Sa-ra
** Bae Gang-hee as young Sa-ra
    A member of the choir of a church led by her wealthy pastor father. Growing up, she developed a severe drug addiction and has a career as a famous abstract painter. She was part of the group that constantly abused Dong-eun.
* Kim Gun-woo as Son Myeong-oh
** Seo Woo-hyuk young Myeong-oh
    He was part of the group that constantly abused Dong-eun. Growing up, without the connections or education afforded by financial privilege, he works as an errand boy for Jae-joon and a drug dealer for Sa-ra.
* Lee So-ee as Yoon So-hee
    A Sunghan High School student who was the target of constant bullying and abuse by Yeon-jin's group before Dong-eun became the next target.
* Jeon Soo-ah as Ahn Jung-mi
    The school nurse at Sunghan High School. She was the only adult who supported Dong-eun at school.
* Park Yoon-hee as Kim Jong-moon
    Dong-eun's former homeroom teacher at Sunghan High School. He showed favouritism toward Yeon-jin's group and abused Dong-eun because he had taken bribes from their parents.
* Ahn So-yo as Kim Kyeong-ran
** Lee Seo-young as young Kyeong-ran
    A shop assistant at a boutique owned by Jae-joon. During her high school days, she became the next target of constant bullying by Yeon-jin's group after Dong-eun quit school.

#### People around Park Yeon-jin

* Oh Ji-yul as Ha Ye-sol
    The daughter of Yeon-jin and Do-yeong, although her biological father is Jae-joon. She is colour blind. She attends Semyeong Elementary School Class 1-2.
* Yoon Da-gyeong as Hong Young-ae
    Yeon-jin's mother who believes in Korean shamanism.
* Lee Hae-young as Shin Young-joon
    A high-ranking police officer who is Young-ae's longtime friend. He and his subordinates work behind the scenes to cover up Yeon-jin's crimes.

#### People around Moon Dong-eun

* Park Ji-a as Jung Mi-hee
    Dong-eun's mother who worked at a barbershop. She abandoned her daughter in favour of bribes. Has severe alcohol dependency.
* Heo Dong-won as Chu Jeong-ho
    A teacher in Semyeong Elementary School who has tensions with Dong-eun. He is outed as a child predator.
* Kang Gil-woo as Kim Soo-han
    Dong-eun's senior who is also Jong-moon's son.
* Son Sook as Old Lady
    Manager of an estate office and owner of Eden Villa in Semyeong, where Dong-eun rents an apartment.
* Son Na-young as Goo Sung-hee
    A travel agency employee who worked at the same factory with Dong-eun.

#### People around Kang Hyeon-nam

* Choi Soo-in as Lee Seon-ah
    Hyeon-nam's daughter, who, along her mother, suffers from physical abuse by her father.
* Ryu Seong-hyun as Lee Seok-jae
    Hyeon-nam's husband, who physically abused his daughter and wife. He also gambled and became an alcoholic.

#### People around Joo Yeo-jeong

* Kim Jung-young as Park Sang-im
    Yeo-jeong's mother who is also the current director of Seoul Joo General Hospital.
* Cho Min-wook as Kim Jong-heon
    Yeo-jeong's senior.
* Choi Kwang-il as Joo Sung-hak
    Yeo-jeong's father, and was the chief director of Seoul Joo General Hospital. He was murdered by Yeong-cheon.

#### Others

* Lee Byung-joon as Lee Gil-sung
    A pastor and Sa-ra's father.
* Son Kang-kuk as Choi Dong-kyu
    A detective.
* Noh Kyung (Part 2)
* Oh Min-ae as Do-yeong's mother
* Kim Seon-hwa as Lee Sa-ra's mother
* Jeon Jin-oh as subordinate who help police officers

### Special appearance

* Hwang Kwang-hee as radio show host
* Lee Moo-saeng as Kang Yeong-cheon
    A patient who murdered Yeo-jeong's father.
* Lee Joong-ok as Tae-wook
    Hye-jeong's lover.
* Kim Seung-hwa as Hye-jeong's junior

## Episodes

Series overview :
| Season | Episodes | Episodes | Originally released | Originally released |
| 1 | 16 | 8 | December 30, 2022 (2022-12-30) | December 30, 2022 (2022-12-30) |
| 1 | 16 | 8 | March 10, 2023 (2023-3-10) | March 10, 2023 (2023-3-10) |
| No. overall | No. in season | Episode | Directed by | Written by | Original release date |
| Part 1 ||||||
| 1 | 1 | Episode 1 | Ahn Gil-ho | Kim Eun-sook | December 30, 2022 (2022-12-30) |
| In 2004, 17-year-old high school student Moon Dong-eun is ruthlessly bullied and tortured by a group of her rich peers, led by Park Yeon-jin and including Jeon Jae-joon, Choi Hye-jeong, Lee Sa-ra and Son Myeong-oh. Dong-eun files a police report but Yeon-jin's mother, Young-ae, uses her connections with Young-joon, a high-ranking police officer, to cover up the incidents. After the school nurse, Dong-eun's only supporter, resigns, Dong-eun applies to drop out of school, listing the group as the reason. Their homeroom teacher, Jong-moon, beats her in front of other staff for "lying". Young-ae bribes Dong-eun's mother, Jeong Mi-hee, to change the reason on Dong-eun's dropout form to "maladjustment". After accepting the bribe, Mi-hee abandons Dong-eun and moves away. Over the next few years, Dong-eun works at a textile factory, befriends fellow worker Sung-hee, acquires a GED certificate, and enrolls into university to study education. In 2022, an adult Dong-eun watches Yeon-jin, now a weather presenter, on television, surrounded by photographs of those who have wronged her. ||||||
| 2 | 2 | Episode 2 | Ahn Gil-ho | Kim Eun-sook | December 30, 2022 (2022-12-30) |
| While in university, Dong-eun gathers information on the group. Jae-joon inherits a country club and upscale clothing boutique, and has an affair with Yeon-jin; Hye-jeong becomes a flight attendant and has unrequited feelings for Jae-joon; Sa-ra becomes a famous abstract artist and drug addict; Myeong-oh becomes Jae-joon's lackey and Sa-ra's drug dealer. Dong-eun befriends Joo Yeo-jeong, a medical intern who develops a crush on her and teaches her the game Go. Yeon-jin marries Ha Do-yeong, the CEO of a large construction company, and has a daughter, Ha Ye-sol. After graduating, Dong-eun abruptly leaves without telling Yeo-jeong. She meets Myeong-oh and tells him she has information he can use to make money. She leases an apartment in Semyeong overlooking Yeon-jin's house. One night, while searching the bins at the house of Semyeong Foundation's chairman, Dong-eun is confronted by housekeeper Kang Hyeon-nam. Rather than turn Dong-eun in, Hyeon-nam offers to help Dong-eun if she kills her abusive husband in return. ||||||
| 3 | 3 | Episode 3 | Ahn Gil-ho | Kim Eun-sook | December 30, 2022 (2022-12-30) |
| Dong-eun hires Hyeon-nam as an assistant to help gather information on the group. She realizes that Ye-sol is colorblind, a trait shared by Jae-joon. She starts playing Go at the club Do-yeong goes to, where her skill intrigues him. She also encounters Yeo-jeong by chance, now a plastic surgeon. Dong-eun tells Myeong-oh that she knows who pushed Yoon So-hee, a student bullied by the group before they targeted Dong-eun, to her death. She offers that information in exchange for his help; he gives her Jae-joon's hair samples. The bullies gather at the school for an alumni awards ceremony, where Dong-eun meets them again. Dong-eun uses the information Hyeon-nam gathered to blackmail the chairman of the Semyeong school district for a transfer to teach at the elementary school Ye-sol attends. ||||||
| 4 | 4 | Episode 4 | Ahn Gil-ho | Kim Eun-sook | December 30, 2022 (2022-12-30) |
| Yeon-jin learns that her daughter's new homeroom teacher is Dong-eun and that their now elderly teacher, Jong-moon, died after meeting Dong-eun, causing her to panic. Dong-eun had told Soo-han, Jong-moon's son, that she intended to publicly expose Jong-moon's treatment of her. Soo-han then killed his father so as not to jeopardize his own career prospects. Dong-eun receives information about So-hee from Jung-mi, the ex-school nurse. Myeong-oh visits the mortuary, discovering that it's the location of So-hee's body, her parents having refused to claim it; they dispute the police's ruling of suicide. Do-yeong starts playing with Dong-eun at the Go club, just as she had intended. ||||||
| 5 | 5 | Episode 5 | Ahn Gil-ho | Kim Eun-sook | December 30, 2022 (2022-12-30) |
| Dong-eun reveals to Yeon-jin that she knows about Ye-sol's color blindness. Jae-joon receives an envelope containing Ye-sol's toothbrush. Yeon-jin hires her mother's friend Young-joon, now a corrupt detective, to gather information on Dong-eun. Hyeon-nam steals Hye-jeong's phone and gives it to Dong-eun. Dong-eun blackmails Sa-ra for cash. She also contacts Yeo-jeong after years of silence, and apologizes for her treatment of him. Yeo-jeong, still in love with her, cheekily tells her he'd be a good partner. She replies that she does not need a prince but an "executioner". Dong-eun tells Myeong-oh who pushed So-hee. He contacts the group and Do-yeong, planning to flee to Russia. However, he is attacked by an unknown person before he can do so. ||||||
| 6 | 6 | Episode 6 | Ahn Gil-ho | Kim Eun-sook | December 30, 2022 (2022-12-30) |
| Yeo-jeong opens his own practice in Semyeong, having decided to follow Dong-eun. Myeong-oh goes missing. While driving, Dong-eun receives a warning from Hyeon-nam that she is being followed. She leads the men into an auto collision, and they exchange phone numbers. Unbeknownst to her, the two men secretly work for Young-Joon. Suspicious, she asks Hyeon-nam why she was following her but realizes Hyeon-nam was only doing her job and the two make up. Do-yeong receives a photograph of him with Dong-eun. While getting her car fixed, the sound of barbecuing meat triggers Dong-eun's PTSD and sends her into a panic attack. She heads to Yeo-jeong's new place for comfort. Jae-joon discovers that Ye-sol is his daughter. Hye-jeong receives an envelope full of private images from her phone. Dong-eun tells Yeo-jeong of her plan for revenge. When he tries to discourage her, she shows him the extensive scarring on her body. Shocked and disturbed, Yeo-jeong offers to be her "executioner". ||||||
| 7 | 7 | Episode 7 | Ahn Gil-ho | Kim Eun-sook | December 30, 2022 (2022-12-30) |
| Do-yeong grows suspicious of Yeon-jin and her group. Yeo-jeong's mother, Sang-im, the director of her own hospital, receives a letter from Kang Yeong-cheon, the now-imprisoned murderer of Yeo-jeong's father, and realizes the killer has been taunting her son. The normally-bright Yeo-jeong fantasizes about killing Yeong-cheon, revealing his own dark side. Dong-eun plans to use the money from Sa-ra to send Hyeon-nam's daughter to study in the US so she is safe. Jae-joon wants to take back Ye-sol but that will require a divorce between Yeon-jin and Do-yeong. Before Myeong-oh's disappearance, Dong-eun had told him that on the day So-hee died, So-hee had Yeon-jin's name tag in her hand. Jae-joon confronts Yeon-jin with Ye-sol's paternity and they kiss. Do-yeong attends Ye-sol's class, sees Jae-joon there, and is startled to see that Ye-sol's teacher is Dong-eun. ||||||
| 8 | 8 | Episode 8 | Ahn Gil-ho | Kim Eun-sook | December 30, 2022 (2022-12-30) |
| Dong-eun threatens Hye-jeong into reporting Myeong-oh's disappearance to the police. Do-yeong learns from Hye-jeong that Yeon-jin was a malicious bully to Dong-eun and others in the past. Yeo-jeong meets Do-yeong for the first time and plays Go with him, reporting back to Dong-eun. Yeon-jin finds and once again bribes Dong-eun's mother to have leverage over Dong-eun. Sang-im visits Yeong-cheon in prison to tell him to stop the letters. Do-yeong asks Dong-eun for her side of the story. Yeon-jin breaks into Dong-eun's apartment and sees her wall of photographs, then turns to find that Do-yeong has stepped inside too. Yeo-jeong discovers that So-hee's body is not in the mortuary. ||||||
| Part 2 ||||||
| 9 | 1 | Episode 9 | Ahn Gil-ho | Kim Eun-sook | March 10, 2023 (2023-03-10) |
| Do-yeong demands an explanation from Yeon-jin, but she attempts to turn the tables on him. On Myeong-oh's last day, he'd tried to blackmail Do-yeong, Dong-eun, and the clique of bullies. The clique begins to suspect Yeon-jin of being involved in his disappearance as well as So-hee's death. Yeo-jeong learns that So-hee's body was moved to the freezer on his father's orders, who'd hoped that her case be reopened. Dong-eun moves in with Yeo-jeong. Myeong-oh's disappearance becomes a criminal investigation. Do-yeong receives the information about Yeon-jin's infidelity that Myeong-oh had sent before his disappearance. In the past, a younger Dong-eun had sent Yeon-jin's name tag found at the scene of So-hee's death to the police, only for Officer Young-joon to give it to Yeon-jin's mother, who kept it, covering up Yeon-jin's involvement. So-hee is revealed to have been pregnant when she died. Dong-eun realizes a photo of Hyeon-nam's husband is missing from her wall. With it, Yeon-jin tracks down Hyeon-nam. ||||||
| 10 | 2 | Episode 10 | Ahn Gil-ho | Kim Eun-sook | March 10, 2023 (2023-03-10) |
| Yeon-jin threatens Hyeon-nam into working for her, though Hyeon-nam was forewarned about this by Dong-eun. Tipped off by Yeon-jin, Dong-eun's mother surprises her at her school. Dong-eun uses Hye-jeong to lure Yeon-jin to Yeo-jeong's clinic and places Hyeon-nam's daughter in Jung-mi's care for safety. Jae-joon learns that CCTV footage from his boutique on the night of Myeong-oh's disappearance has been erased. With his wife's truths coming to light, Do-yeon asks Dong-eun to dinner for discussion. She wears a sleeveless dress, shocking Do-yeong with her burn scars. While undergoing anesthesia before a cosmetic procedure, Yeon-jin is questioned by Yeo-jeong about Myeong-oh. It is revealed that when Myeong-oh blackmailed Yeon-jin about So-hee's death at Jae-joon's boutique, she flew into a rage, beat his head with a bottle, and left him for dead. ||||||
| 11 | 3 | Episode 11 | Ahn Gil-ho | Kim Eun-sook | March 10, 2023 (2023-03-10) |
| Yeon-jin enlists Young-joon to take care of Myeong-oh's body. Instead of disposing of it, he stores the body at an abandoned funeral home to have leverage against Yeon-jin and her mother Young-ae. Disoriented, Yeon-jin flees Yeo-jeong's clinic after waking up. At dinner, Dong-eun tells Do-yeong she wants Yeon-jin to lose everyone around her, but he replies that he will not divorce her just yet. Back home, Do-yeong reveals to Yeon-jin his knowledge of her affair with Jae-joon. Jae-joon attempts to recover the CCTV footage from the boutique. Young-ae asks Young-joon to find a legal loophole to get rid of So-hee's frozen body. Yeo-jeong buys the abandoned funeral home. After Seok-jae learns that Hyeon-nam is working for Yeon-jin, he blackmails Young-ae. Hye-jeong finds Myeong-oh's partial recording of his ill-fated meeting with Yeon-jin. ||||||
| 12 | 4 | Episode 12 | Ahn Gil-ho | Kim Eun-sook | March 10, 2023 (2023-03-10) |
| Dong-eun and Yeo-jeong locate Myeong-oh's body at the funeral home. It is revealed that Yeo-jeong took DNA samples from Yeon-jin at the clinic. Yeon-jin begins to see hallucinations of So-hee. Dong-eun informs Jae-joon that her colleague Mr. Chu has been taking upskirt photographs of students, including Ye-sol. Jae-joon beats up Mr. Chu at the school. Kyung-ran, the shop assistant at Jae-joon's boutique, is revealed to have the bottle Yeon-jin used to kill Myeong-oh. At the police station, Jae-joon and Do-yeong get into a physical altercation over Ye-sol. Do-yeong confronts Yeon-jin about Jae-joon and Ye-sol's paternity, effectively ending their marriage. At school, Dong-eun is confronted by parents her mother turned against her. She later plants drugs at the church run by Sa-ra's father, causing Sa-ra to relapse and hallucinate which is seen by churchgoers. Yeon-jin learns that a letter has been posted online with accusations of bullying by an anonymous weather presenter. ||||||
| 13 | 5 | Episode 13 | Ahn Gil-ho | Kim Eun-sook | March 10, 2023 (2023-03-10) |
| The video of Sa-ra and the letter become a media sensation. Jae-joon finds out that the hard drive was swapped, not erased. Hye-jeong shows Jae-joon Myeong'oh's recording; he realizes the recording was made at his boutique, and seduces Hye-jeong. Dong-eun asks Kyung-ran not to get in the way of her proving that Yeon-jin murdered Myeong-oh. Young-ae enlists her shaman friend to help her get rid of Seok-jae so he stops blackmailing her. Hye-jeong tells Sa-ra that Yeon-jin used her media contacts to spread a story about Sa-ra's tax evasion, thus taking attention off her own bullying complaint. Dong-eun resigns from the school. Young-joon blackmails Yeon-jin with Myeong-oh's body, but Dong-eun has already arranged for Myeong-oh's body to be placed and discovered where So-hee died. Dong-eun confronts her mother, who while in an alcohol-induced rage, starts a fire in the apartment while being recorded. ||||||
| 14 | 6 | Episode 14 | Ahn Gil-ho | Kim Eun-sook | March 10, 2023 (2023-03-10) |
| Using the recording of her behavior, Dong-eun commits her mother to a mental institution. Do-yeong reads the letter posted online about So-hee and is horrified to learn of the extent of the bullying. Dong-eun gives him the location of So-hee's mother. Yeon-jin persuades Jae-joon to provide her with an alibi on the day of Myeong-oh's disappearance. Jae-joon gives Do-yeong a copy of Myeong-oh's recording, offering to not pass it to the police if he divorces Yeon-jin and gives up custody of Ye-sol. He hints that Yeon-jin not only murdered Myeong-oh but also So-hee, disturbing Do-yeong further. Young-ae runs over Seok-jae with Young-joon in the car with her, threatening him into helping. Realizing she left traces in the funeral home, Yeon-jin revisits it, only to be surprised by Yeo-jeong. Dong-eun gives the lead detective in Myeong-oh's case a tip about a lighter found near So-hee's body. The shaman stages So-hee's last moments in front of Yeon-jin, revealing that she set fire to So-hee's clothes, causing a struggle that ended with her pushing So-hee off the roof. ||||||
| 15 | 7 | Episode 15 | Ahn Gil-ho | Kim Eun-sook | March 10, 2023 (2023-03-10) |
| The shaman appears to see So-hee's ghost beside Dong-eun before dying in what the others see as divine punishment. Yeon-jin tries to threaten Hyeon-nam but Hyeon-nam slaps her, which Do-yeong witnesses. He gives Yeon-jin an ultimatum to make amends to So-hee's mother. When she refuses, he initiates divorce. After Sa-ra leaks old video footage of Yeon-jin bullying So-hee, Yeon-jin resigns from her job. Ye-sol rejects Yeon-jin, devastating her. At Myeong-oh's funeral, the clique turns on each other, culminating with Sa-ra stabbing Hye-jeong in the neck and being charged with attempted murder. Yeo-jeong discovers that Jae-joon had raped So-hee, causing her pregnancy. It is revealed that Dong-eun and Kyung-ran were friends before Dong-eun was bullied. Jae-joon reveals to Hye-jeong, now mute, that he deleted Myeong-oh's recording. Yeo-jeong had planted Yeon-jin's DNA on Myeong-oh's body, which matches the DNA found on the lighter. Young-ae gives Yeon-jin's nametag to Dong-eun in an effort to save herself, causing Yeon-jin to realize her mother betrayed her. Dong-eun discovers that So-hee's mother's legal guardian is Yeo-jeong and has been long before she'd told him of her revenge. ||||||
| 16 | 8 | Episode 16 | Ahn Gil-ho | Kim Eun-sook | March 10, 2023 (2023-03-10) |
| Yeo-jeong admits he knew about Dong-eun from the start and was aware that she'd approached him on purpose. Dong-eun admits she approached him to ensure So-hee's body stays frozen. Yeon-jin and Young-ae are both arrested on suspicion of murder, with Yeon-jin becoming mentally unstable. Lead detective Choi realizes Dong-eun orchestrated the events but stays quiet and closes the case. Young-joon is beaten to death by his subordinates over money. Hye-jeong tampers with Jae-joon's eye medication with Dong-eun's help as revenge, causing him to go blind. Jae-joon drowns after being pushed into a pool of wet concrete by Do-yeong. Do-yeong and Ye-sol relocate to the UK. So-hee is laid to rest. It is revealed that Myeong-oh was found alive by Kyung-ran, who delivered the killing blow with the same bottle after panicking from flashbacks of Myeong-oh's sexual assault. Kyung-ran then contacted Dong-eun, who framed Yeon-jin. Dong-eun abandons Yeo-jeong, planning to end her life right where So-hee died, but is interrupted by Sang-im, who begs her to help Yeo-jeong. Six months later, Dong-eun is more at ease with her past and no longer hides her scars. She returns to Yeo-jeong and offers to help with his revenge now. They carry out a plan to infiltrate the prison where Yeong-cheon is held. Yeo-jeong becomes a doctor at Jisan Prison. Yeong-cheon is beaten by inmates and transferred to Jisan. Dong-eun teaches classes for inmates. At Jisan, Yeong-cheon sees Yeo-jeong, remembering that Yeo-jeong had warned him that his revenge won't be complete until Yeong-cheon is dead. With their traumas avenged, Dong-eun and Yeo-jeong admit they love each other. ||||||

## Production
### Development

Preparation for the series began in January 2021. Entirely pre-produced by Hwa&Dam Pictures and its parent company Studio Dragon, it is a Netflix original series. It is said that the series will be produced in two seasons, 8 episodes per season for a total of 16 episodes.
On December 20, 2022, the director announced at the drama's press conference that Part 2 will be released in March 2023.

### Casting

In July 2022, The Glory confirmed production with ensemble casting of Song Hye-kyo, Lee Do-hyun, Lim Ji-yeon, Yeom Hye-ran, Park Sung-hoon, and Jung Sung-il.

## Reception
### Audience response

Two days after the release of The Glory Part 1 on December 30, 2022, it ranked ninth globally on Netflix's TV shows category. On its third day, it reached fifth place on the most watched shows on Netflix worldwide. Two days after the release of The Glory Part 2 on March 10, 2023, it ranked second worldwide and became top one worldwide on its third day The series debuted at number three on the Netflix's Weekly Global Top 10 in non-English TV show category for the week December 26 – January 1, with 25.41 million hours viewed and subsequently ranked number one of the same list in the following week, January 2–8, accumulating 82.48 million viewing hours.
The series now ranked among the top 10 all-time Non-English TV series at #5 with 436.90 million hours watched in the first 28 days of release.

### Critical response

On review aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes, The Glory has an approval rating of 83%, based on 6 reviews.
Writing for Forbes, Joan MacDonald praised Song Hye-kyo for her "nuanced portrayal of Dong-eun" as well as Jung Ji-so who played teen Dong-eun, and wrote "The Glory features a fair share of unexpected plot twists, veering the story from almost horror to melodrama to murder mystery." Lakshana N. Palat, in his review for The Indian Express, praised the series' cinematography, music, and Song Hye-kyo's performance, stating, "It is one of her finest performances, if not her best." Chris Vognar of San Francisco Chronicle called the series "visually arresting", "carefully constructed" and "delights in every step".
Pierce Conran of South China Morning Post graded the series with 4 out of 5, appreciating its storyline. The Hindu's S. Poorvaja wrote, "Part 2 of The Glory, goes above and beyond, with its razor-sharp writing, compelling narrative, and impressive performances. And this is no easy feat, given that the story here has its focus trained on a rather complicated plan of revenge coming to fruition."

### Spotlighting school bullying

The series has been criticized for its graphic portrayal of violence, but it has also been praised for shedding a light on the ongoing abuses among students in South Korean schools. The violent scenes reminded the country's viewers of a 2006 incident where a middle schooler was beaten and burned by her classmates over the course of 20 days, not allowing her wounds to heal. She ended up being hospitalized for six weeks. One of the perpetrators was arrested afterward, while the school and its staff faced "administrative measures". Kim Eun-sook, the writer of the series, was initially inspired by her teenage daughter asking her which scenario she would find more distraught, that her daughter abuses someone else or that her daughter ends up as a victim of abuse. Since the show was aired, former employees in the South Korean school system have said that its depiction is realistic.
In March 2023, an anonymous online post accused the director of the series Ahn Gil-ho of physically assaulting a classmate when he studied in the Philippines in 1996. Ahn initially denied the allegation but ultimately admitted to it in a statement through his law firm. It said that Ahn and his friends confronted another group of students after hearing that the latter had made fun of Ahn's girlfriend at the time. Ahn wanted to seek forgiveness from those he had hurt and offered to make apologies in person.

## Accolades
### Awards and nominations

Name of the award ceremony, year presented, category, nominee(s) of the award, and the result of the nomination :
| Award ceremony | Year | Category | Nominee / Work | Result |
| Asia Contents Awards & Global OTT Awards | 2023 | Best Actress | Song Hye-kyo | Nominated |
| Asia Contents Awards & Global OTT Awards | 2023 | Best Supporting Actress | Lim Ji-yeon | Won |
| Asia Contents Awards & Global OTT Awards | 2023 | Best Writer | Kim Eun-sook | Nominated |
| Asia Contents Awards & Global OTT Awards | 2023 | Best Creative | The Glory | Nominated |
| Asian Academy Creative Awards | 2023 | Best Actress in a Supporting Role (Grand Final Winners) | Lim Ji-yeon | Won |
| Asian Academy Creative Awards | 2023 | Best Drama Series (Grand Final Winners) | The Glory | Won |
| Asian Academy Creative Awards | 2023 | Best Actress in A Leading Role (National Winners – Korea) | Song Hye-kyo | Won |
| Asian Academy Creative Awards | 2023 | Best Actress in a Supporting Role (National Winners – Korea) | Lim Ji-yeon | Won |
| Asian Academy Creative Awards | 2023 | Best Drama Series (National Winners – Korea) | The Glory | Won |
| Asian Academy Creative Awards | 2023 | Best Screenplay (National Winners – Korea) | Kim Eun-sook | Won |
| Baeksang Arts Awards | 2023 | Grand Prize – Television | The Glory | Nominated |
| Baeksang Arts Awards | 2023 | Grand Prize – Television | Kim Eun-sook | Nominated |
| Baeksang Arts Awards | 2023 | Best Drama | The Glory | Won |
| Baeksang Arts Awards | 2023 | Best Actress | Song Hye-kyo | Won |
| Baeksang Arts Awards | 2023 | Best Supporting Actor | Park Sung-hoon | Nominated |
| Baeksang Arts Awards | 2023 | Best Supporting Actress | Yeom Hye-ran | Nominated |
| Baeksang Arts Awards | 2023 | Best Supporting Actress | Lim Ji-yeon | Won |
| Baeksang Arts Awards | 2023 | Best New Actor | Kim Gun-woo | Nominated |
| Baeksang Arts Awards | 2023 | Best New Actress | Kim Hieora | Nominated |
| Baeksang Arts Awards | 2023 | Best Screenplay | Kim Eun-sook | Nominated |
| Baeksang Arts Awards | 2023 | Technical Award | Jang Jong-kyung (Cinematography) | Nominated |
| Bechdel Day | 2023 | Bechdel Choice 10 – Series Category | The Glory | Won |
| Bechdel Day | 2023 | Best Actress – Series Category | Lim Ji-yeon | Won |
| Blue Dragon Series Awards | 2023 | Best Drama | The Glory | Nominated |
| Blue Dragon Series Awards | 2023 | Blue Dragon's Choice (Grand Prize) | The Glory | Nominated |
| Blue Dragon Series Awards | 2023 | Blue Dragon's Choice (Grand Prize) | Song Hye-kyo | Won |
| Blue Dragon Series Awards | 2023 | Best Actress | Song Hye-kyo | Nominated |
| Blue Dragon Series Awards | 2023 | Best Supporting Actor | Park Sung-hoon | Nominated |
| Blue Dragon Series Awards | 2023 | Best Supporting Actress | Lim Ji-yeon | Won |
| Blue Dragon Series Awards | 2023 | Best New Actress | Cha Joo-young | Nominated |
| Brand Customer Loyalty Awards | 2023 | Best Actress – OTT | Song Hye-kyo | Won |
| Brand Customer Loyalty Awards | 2023 | Best Actress – OTT | Lim Ji-yeon | Nominated |
| Brand Customer Loyalty Awards | 2023 | Best Actor – OTT | Lee Do-hyun | Nominated |
| Brand of the Year Awards | 2023 | Best Actress – OTT | Song Hye-kyo | Nominated |
| Brand of the Year Awards | 2023 | Best Actress – OTT | Lim Ji-yeon | Won |
| Brand of the Year Awards | 2023 | Best Actor – OTT | Lee Do-hyun | Won |
| Brand of the Year Awards | 2023 | Actress of The Year – Scene Stealer | Park Ji-a | Nominated |
| Consumer Day KCA Culture Entertainment Awards | 2023 | Drama Category – Best Picture | The Glory | Won |
| Consumer Day KCA Culture Entertainment Awards | 2023 | Best Director | Ahn Gil-ho | Won |
| Consumer Day KCA Culture Entertainment Awards | 2023 | Best Screenplay | Kim Eun-sook | Won |
| Critics' Choice Awards | 2024 | Best Foreign Language Series | The Glory | Nominated |
| Grand Bell Awards | 2023 | Best Series | The Glory | Nominated |
| Grand Bell Awards | 2023 | Best Director Series | Ahn Gil-ho | Nominated |
| Grand Bell Awards | 2023 | Best Actress Series | Song Hye-kyo | Nominated |
| Global Film & Television Huading Awards | 2023 | Best Actor in Global Drama Series | Lee Do-hyun | Nominated |
| Global Film & Television Huading Awards | 2023 | Most Popular Actress in Global Drama Series | Song Hye-kyo | Nominated |
| Golden Cinema Film Festival | 2023 | Special OTT Performance Award | Cha Joo-young | Won |
| Kinolights Awards | 2023 | Best Actress | Song Hye-kyo | 2nd Place |
| Kinolights Awards | 2023 | Best Actress | Lim Ji-yeon | 1st Place |
| Kinolights Awards | 2023 | Best Drama | The Glory | 1st Place |
| Seoul International Drama Awards | 2023 | Best Picture | The Glory | Won |
| Korea Drama Awards | 2023 | Best Drama | The Glory | Won |
| Korea Drama Awards | 2023 | Daesang | Song Hye-kyo | Nominated |
| Korea Drama Awards | 2023 | Top Excellent Award, Actress | Lim Ji-yeon | Nominated |
| Korea Drama Awards | 2023 | Excellent Award, Actor | Park Sung-hoon | Nominated |
| Korea Drama Awards | 2023 | Best New Actor | Kim Gun-woo | Nominated |
| Korea Drama Awards | 2023 | Best Director | Ahn Gil-ho | Won |

### Listicle

| Publisher | Year | Listicle | Placement | Ref. |
| Time | 2023 | The 10 Best Korean Dramas of 2023 on Netflix | Included | |