The Glory Part 1 (2022)

The premise of a school bullying survivor spending 18 years preparing for revenge may sound sensational. But The Glory withholds that revenge — unspooling it not with heat but with cold, methodical deliberateness, like placing pieces on a chess board. Released as a Netflix original in December 2022, Part 1 consists of eight episodes. Written by Kim Eun-sook, it shows a tone and resolve entirely unlike his previous works.

What it’s about — The first move of a revenge 18 years in the making

Moon Dong-eun (Song Hye-kyo) suffered extreme bullying in school. The perpetrators are living comfortably, facing no consequence. As an adult, Dong-eun establishes herself in the same neighborhood as her abusers and begins to plan the systematic dismantling of each of them, one by one. Part 1 follows Dong-eun’s approach to the perpetrators’ circle, her encounter with an unexpected ally in Joo Yeo-jeong (Lee Do-hyun), and the placing of the first move in her plan. The structure ends on a cliffhanger — Part 2 is needed for a sense of resolution.

Direction — A cold tone that lingers longer through restraint

Director Ahn Gil-ho maintains a cold tone throughout the drama. Rather than delivering quick revenge or cathartic moments, the focus stays on how long and how precisely the protagonist has been planning. The color palette is a subdued blue-grey, and the music builds tension without over-stimulating the emotions. Scenes where feelings are suppressed rather than detonated are the ones that stay with you longest. The flashback sequences depicting the bullying are direct and uncomfortable in their execution, refusing to dilute the weight of what happened.

Performance & characters — Song Hye-kyo’s most different face

Song Hye-kyo shows a face in this drama unlike anything in her filmography to this point. She convincingly plays a woman who has pressed 18 years of rage inward without releasing it — with the fire inside never extinguished, but never visible on the surface. Lim Ji-yeon’s performance as perpetrator Park Yeon-jin is inseparable from any discussion of this drama. She renders the villain in a way that is fully villainous while precisely expressing the gap between the social surface and the inner emptiness. Yeom Hye-ran also leaves a deep impression in limited screen time.

What the work says — The price the victim pays for revenge

What The Glory speaks about is not the satisfaction of revenge. It shows how much the person seeking revenge must give up in order to pursue it — how arduous that life itself is. The setup that after 18 years of living for revenge nothing remains for Dong-eun except the revenge itself is also a question about the cost paid by the victim. There is also a cold observation woven throughout the drama about how, in Korean society, perpetrators of school bullying are protected, and how victims are isolated.

Ratings & reception

IMDb gives it 8.2, and it immediately topped global Korean drama rankings on Netflix after release. Lim Ji-yeon won multiple supporting actress awards at domestic and international awards ceremonies for this drama, marking a new chapter in her career as an actor.

What falls short

Part 1 alone is not a complete story. Following 8 episodes of watching the preparation for revenge unfold, you discover that the revenge itself begins in Part 2. This structure is intentional, but ending without catharsis divides viewers. Some supporting character setups also feel somewhat formulaic.

Verdict

The Glory Part 1 is a drama remembered for its approach to school bullying as a subject — handling it without sensational consumption — and for the performances of Song Hye-kyo and Lim Ji-yeon. Watching Part 2 immediately after is recommended. The two parts together complete The Glory as it was intended. Baduk, used as a motif throughout the drama, symbolizes the strategic relationship between Dong-eun and her abusers in a way that rewards attention. The setup that it took 18 years to place a single piece captures this drama’s entire tone in a sentence. Rating: ★4.0.

Recommended for

• Viewers who enjoy revenge narratives but prefer strategic coldness over emotional explosion
• Those interested in Song Hye-kyo’s transformation as an actress
• Anyone looking for a Korean drama that seriously addresses social issues