The Glory-ous Ms Moon and the Taste of Revenge
How to Criticize Violence Without Using Violence - Framed in a Revenge Story
Tags: #TheGlory #KDrama #TVShows #Series #RevengeStory #Justice #Vengeance
*Contains spoilers for The Glory (Netflix, 2022)*
If you haven’t seen The Glory on Netflix – why? Go binge it and come back in circa 16 hours. For those of you that have or for those of you that just finished it, welcome back, let’s recap. The story follows Moon Dong-Eun, a woman stuck in the past, obsessed with her high school classmate and former tormentor, as she meticulously enacts revenge against Park Yeon-Jin and her underlings. Having spent more than a decade planning and plotting, Dong-Eun sets everything in motion with a henchman and an assistant by her side, slowly breaking down the walls around Yeon-Jin and robbing her of her glory.
Over the 16 episodes of the show, Dong-Eun manages to see justice done, but what really makes this show worth watching is that The Glory is not your typical revenge narrative. Revenge is a common theme in storytelling, and life – Shakespeare, Confucius, and Gandhi have all touched on the subject (see also e.g. Sim 2015). However, The Glory doesn’t focus on the aspect of revenge that inspired ‘an eye for an eye’; Dong-Eun is seeking justice, not just for herself but for Yoon So-Hee, a student previously bullied and eventually killed by Yeon-jin.
While revenge stories are satisfying to watch, especially when one character overcomes all odds to succeed in a world that is rarely fair, most vigilante protagonists are perpetuating the cycle of violence that started their path to vengeance. At the end of their revenge arc, justice has not necessarily been served and protagonists are often left unsatisfied with the outcome. While such narratives make sense given the narrow understanding of justice by wider society, justice needs go far beyond retribution. Indeed, much research has evidenced that justice includes acknowledgement, harm repair, and safety (e.g. Clark 2015, Daly 2017, McGlynn et al 2018). Some of these understandings are addressed by The Glory explicitly or implicitly setting it apart from other revenge stories.
The Glory is a violent show - episode one shows Dong-Eun being physically and emotionally assaulted - and some of these scenes are fairly explicit. Usually revenge stories claim to critique such violence by utilizing protagonists who seek retribution through equally violent measures – insert long training montage that builds up the main character’s strength and skills. However, instead of Dong-Eun inflicting the same harms on her abusers, she carefully unravels the bonds between them and creates mistrust and paranoia that causes the group to implode.
The show gloriously parallels harms against Dong-Eun and her surrounding cast with carefully crafted countermoves taking over the enemy’s territory one step at a time. The Glory situates this plan through wider parallels to the popular game Go. As Go players battle to control territory, so Dong-Eun captures each aspect of Yeon-jin’s life, shrinking the battlefield between them with each step.
Tengen - Origin of Heaven
Within The Glory, we encounter several institutions which either enabled abuse against Dong-Eun and other victims or aided them in their plans. These institutions, school, the police, the medical system, and even the character’s families, are wielded by Dong-Eun and/or Yeon-Jin against one another throughout the different stages of their lives. As Yeon-Jin’s allied institutions, often backed by power and wealth, begin to crumble, Dong-Eun aligns herself with others to gain from a wider good.
Initially, the school system was very hostile to Dong-Eun. Her homeroom teacher, Kim Jong-Moon, beat her in the teacher’s room when she implied that he would care more about the bullies if his son was the one being attacked. He was also involved in paying off Dong-Eun’s mother to withdraw her from the school. As a counter narrative, Dong-Eun becomes a teacher herself, befriending Jong-Moon’s aforementioned son. Out of respect for that friendship, she mentions that she would be posting an expose on her homeroom teacher’s behaviour. The son, about to interview for a prestigious job in education, uses Jong-Moon’s pollen allergy against him, causing Jong-Moon to go into anaphylaxis. Eventually, Dong-Eun is transferred to Yeon-Jin’s daughter’s school, where she becomes the homeroom teacher. Once Yeon-Jin learns of this, Ye-Sol’s safety at the school becomes a point of anxiety despite Dong-Eun’s assurances that she would not harm an innocent child.
A strong ally of Yeon-Jin throughout the series is the criminal justice system, in particular, the police. Dong-Eun attempted to file assault charges against Yeon-Jin and her gang, but was dismissed by the officer in charge. When Dong-Eun anonymously delivered evidence incriminating Yeon-Jin in So-Hee’s murder, the corrupt officer working with Yeon-Jin’s mother stole the evidence. The detective investigating Son Myeong-O’s disappearance, questions Dong-Eun and her motives in reconnecting with Yeon-Jin. Whenever Yeon-Jin was in trouble, the police would cover her tracks in exchange for money.
In contrast, Dong-Eun’s number one accomplice was the medical system. The school nurse treated her injuries inflicted from the bullying and collected evidence for Dong-Eun to use later. The director of Seoul Joo General Hospital believes there are suspicious circumstances around So-Hee’s death and preserves her body for future investigations. His son, Joo Yeo-Jeong, becomes Dong-Eun’s executioner and her biggest supporter. He collects and plants evidence on Myeong-O’s body implicating Yeon-Jin as the murderer. Yeo-Jeong and Dong-Eun form an alliance based on mutual gain, but eventually become friends.
The only family Dong-Eun and Yeon-Jin have in the beginning are their mothers. Dong-Eun’s mother is largely absent during her school years, though she is tracked down by the homeroom teacher when Dong-Eun attempts to drop out for school violence. To facilitate her substance abuse issues, Dong-Eun’s mother signs a withdrawal statement instead. Yeon-Jin later offers her more money to harass the other parents of Dong-Eun’s students and again, get Dong-Eun removed from a school. To escape her mother’s continued abuse, Dong-Eun has her mother admitted to a clinic to address her psychological issues and substance abuse, ultimately freeing Dong-Eun from having her mother weaponized against her.
In contrast, Yeon-Jin’s mother, Hong Young-Ae, aids in the cover up of So-Hee’s murder. When Dong-Eun masterminds a blackmail plot against Yeon-Jin’s mother, and ultimately threatens her with evidence related to the murder, Young-Ae, now incriminated in the murder, betrays Yeon-Jin in an attempt to save herself. Yet, both end up in prison.
Kiai - Fighting Spirit
At the beginning of the story, one of the biggest advantages Yeon-Jin has over Dong-Eun is her network of accomplices. Dong-Eun is mostly alone and ostracized even further when Yeon-Jin makes her the new target for her torture. As the show progresses, Dong-Eun builds up her own army while slowly chipping away at the bonds between Yeon-Jin and her underlings. Yeon-Jin attempts to regain control, threatening Dong-Eun’s allies, but her frantic attempts to keep power over Dong-Eun are hopeless.
The first target of Dong-Eun is also the weakest link in the group. Son Myeong-O is treated as an assistant or a joke by most of the others in the group, constantly being judged and looked down on for being poor in comparison to the others. Dong-Eun is easily able to flip his allegiance by offering him a bigger payout, and revenge for his own mistreatment. After he attempts to get a confession out of Yeon-Jin for So-Hee’s murder, and is killed himself, Dong-Eun uses his body as the delivery system for incriminating evidence in Yeon-Jin’s downfall. Although Dong-Eun knows that Yeon-Jin did not strike the final blow to Myeong-O, Dong-Eun ensures that Yeon-Jin is convicted for his murder, when she did not have enough evidence against Yeon-Jin in So-Hee’s case. Myeong-O certainly has a violent end in the story, but Dong-Eun only sets the stage for the circumstances that lead to his death. It is Yeon-Jin and Myeong-O’s own actions that continue the circle of aggression.
The next member of the group to flip on Yeon-Jin is Choi Hye-Jeong. She is also not as wealthy as the other three tormentors, and is shown to be a target herself when she steps out of line. Dong-Eun easily persuades her to switch sides and becomes a key tool in sowing mistrust amongst the others, once Dong-Eun reveals that she is acquainted with Hye-Jeong’s fiancé's mother. Now the pawn in Dong-Eun’s game, Hye-Jeong ensures Myeong-O is reported missing, Yeon-Jin’s visits the plastic surgeon, and Jae-Joon’s eye drops are contaminated. It is Hye-Jeong’s attempt at her own personal revenge that leads to the altercation between her and Sa-Ra at Myeong-O’s funeral and Hye-Jeong’s decision to lace Jae-Joon’s eye drops with an abrasive liquid. Dong-Eun enables her to make these choices, but never asks her to commit any violent acts.
The only member of the group that Dong-Eun raises a hand against is Lee Sa-Ra as a catalyst for her cooperation. While Dong-Eun blackmails Sa-Ra for money to complete various parts of her plan, the greatest harms committed against Sa-Ra come from Yeon-Jin. Yeon-Jin uses Sa-Ra’s secrets to cover up her own potential scandal in the media, leaking news of her family’s tax evasion scheme. In revenge, Sa-Ra finds and releases a video of Yeon-Jin bullying So-Hee. Dong-Eun does expose Sa-Ra’s drug use to her church’s congregation, but it is the friendly animosity between Yeon-Jin and Sa-Ra that lead them to their downfalls. Dong-Eun, again, simply leads the horse to water.
Yeon-Jin’s strongest ally is Jeon Jae-Joon, and the secret biological father of her child. While in high school, he sexually assaulted So-Hee, getting her pregnant. Though Dong-Eun did not know this when she began her revenge, she did expose Ye-Sol’s parentage to Jae-Joon. His obsession with Yeon-Jin and her family leads Jae-Joon into acting against Yeon-Jin’s wishes. As the cracks between them grow larger, Dong-Eun manipulates Jae-Joon to further isolate Yeon-Jin. It is ultimately Jae-Joon’s arrogance that leads to the destruction of his relationship with Yeon-Jin and his final demise.
In contrast, Dong-Eun begins her revenge on her own, with no one to rely on. Studying for her high school diploma while working in a clothing factory and tutoring when she attends college classes, she slowly watches her five tormentors and develops her plans. She learns Go from Joo Yeo-Jeong, but does not include him in her plans until they reunite years later. He attempts to get closer to Dong-Eun several times, but it is not until she reveals her past to Yeo-Jeong that they become allies. He supports Dong-Eun’s plans to get justice, without attempting to dissuade her from it. In return, she conspires to help Yeo-Jeong with his own demon.
The other ally Dong-Eun recruits is Kang Hyeon-Nam. Again, Hyeon-Nam is the one that approaches Dong-Eun before they become partners in crime. Having established a sense of trust and the beginnings of a genuine friendship between them, even Yeon-Jin’s threats are unable to turn Hyeon-Nam into a double agent. Dong-Eun empowers Hyeon-Nam to become independent and aids her escape from her abusive husband. Despite coming from violent pasts, both of Dong-Eun’s allies do not commit any violence on her behalf. The only questionable act that oversteps medical consent is when Yeo-Jeong procures evidence while Yeon-Jin is under general anesthesia. Nevertheless, Dong-Eun, Yeo-Jeong, and Hyeon-Nam are all able to break out of the cycle of abuse and seek justice against their tormentors.
Kami No Itte - The Divine Move
In episode one, Dong-Eun reveals that Yeon-Jin’s dream is to be a good wife and mother. When Dong-Eun begins down her path for justice, Yeon-Jin is living her dream. She has a young daughter, a promising career, and an affluent husband. Even without her social connections and the police, Yeon-Jin has what she has alway wanted, while Dong-Eun’s dream of becoming an architect lays in ruins. Instead, it was replaced with dreams of Yeon-Jin.
This is really where Dong-Eun’s revenge takes form. In order to get justice for So-Hee, Yeon-Jin must go to jail, but for Dong-Eun’s justice, Yeon-Jin must lose her dream. Dong-Eun begins her attack with Yeon-Jin’s husband, Ha Do-Yeong. Early on, Dong-Eun learns the game Go to catch Do-Yeong’s attention. Once she captures his interest, she begins to hint at cracks in the facade Yeon-Jin puts on. While Dong-Eun does not immediately reach her goal – she shows Do-Yeong her scars and has Hye-Jeong confirm Do-Yeong’s suspicions – Do-Yeong does realize that Yeon-Jin is not the sweet, dutiful wife she presents herself as, and he does confront her about her lies. This is the beginning of Yeon-Jin’s final downfall.
Dong-Eun’s next attack focuses on Ye-Sol, Yeon-Jin’s daughter. Dong-Eun never harms Ye-Sol, but she does enforce strict classroom rules regarding bullying. Yeon-Jin, concerned after finding out Dong-Eun is her homeroom teacher, questions Ye-Sol whether or not anyone bullies her at school. Ye-Sol shakes her head and explains that her new teacher would not allow anyone to be mean to others as this would make you a horrible person. It is not until Dong-Eun’s plans are further along that Ye-Sol hears rumors of her mother’s horrible actions, destroying their close bond and causing Ye-Sol to shut Yeon-Jin out.
Although Yeon-Jin’s dream did not originally include becoming a weather anchor, Dong-Eun lost her dream job. As a parallel, she ensures that Yeon-Jin cannot even keep her high profile job, which she uses as a platform to show off her perfect life. When rumors first start to spread regarding Yeon-Jin’s high school days and Sa-Ra releases the video of Yeon-Jin bullying So-Hee, Yeon-Jin cannot handle having her coworkers look down on her. Yeon-Jin quits her job before she loses face and is fired. With this, Dong-Eun has finally broken down all of Yeon-Jin’s social connections and all she has left is her failing marriage and crumbling family.
Dong-Eun states early on that she must get vengeance - and she succeeds: Yeon-Jin quits her job amid swirling rumors and is arrested for the murder of Myeong-O; Yeon-Jin palatial house is replaced with a tiny shared jail cell, while Dong-Eun moves into Yeo-Jeong’s mansion; Do-Yeong visits Yeon-Jin in jail to serve her divorce papers, before taking Ye-Sol overseas. In the end, Dong-Eun is free to move on with her life, no longer trapped in the past and Yeon-Jin has lost all her glory.
Yose - The Endgame Phase
All in all – part of what makes this show so memorable is exactly what makes it stand out from similar revenge plots. The writer of The Glory, Kim Eun-Sook, states that she got the idea when her daughter asked, "Mom, would you be more heartbroken if I beat someone nearly to death or if I got beat nearly to death by someone else?" (Ha, 2023). Her answer, that she would have the means to “pursue the perpetrators to the bottoms of hell” (Ha, 2023) if her daughter came home nearly beaten to death, shows that revenge is a universally human concept. However, Ms. Kim’s portrayal of revenge in The Glory leaves Dong-Eun and the audience satisfied with the outcome and achieves justice beyond retribution. Dong-Eun’s experiences are validated by her allies, while some of the perpetrators provide some semblance of an apology. Dong-Eun can finally move on from her seventeen year old self, no longer stuck in her mental prison. With the bully exposed and the murder trial concluded, Dong-Eun can rest, moving on with her original dream of becoming an architect. Each member of Yeon-Jin’s gang is immobilized in some way, and society is a little bit safer from this group of assailants. Dong-Eun and her allies can turn their attention to new horizons.
What started as a story about taking revenge, ends up with our underdog having all the glory - the house, the friends, a job she loves, and a new dream. Seriously, ten out of ten, would watch again, actually we already did so that we could write this.
Sources
Clark H (2015) A Fair Way to Go: Justice for Victim-Survivors of Sexual Violence. In: Powell A, Henry N, Flynn A (eds) Rape Justice - beyond the criminal law. Basingstoke: Palgrave, 18–35
Daly K (2017) Sexual violence and victims’ justice interests. In: Zinsstag E, Keenan M (eds) Restorative Responses to Sexual Violence – Legal, Social and Therapeutic Dimensions. Oxford: Routledge, pp. 108–139
Ha, S. (2023). 'The Glory' writer Kim Eun Sook shares her answer to her daughter's question that inspired the screenplay. All KPop, 8 March, https://www.allkpop.com/article/2023/03/the-glory-writer-kim-eun-sook-shares-her-answer-to-her-daughters-question-that-inspired-the-screenplay
McGlynn, C., & Westmarland, N. (2019). Kaleidoscopic Justice: Sexual Violence and Victim-Survivors’ Perceptions of Justice. Social & Legal Studies, 28(2), 179–201
Sim, S. (2015). Justice and Revenge in Contemporary American Crime Fiction. New York: Palgrave
Image Credit
Netflix Philippines [@Netflix_PH] (2023). "Same writer, all bangers #Goblin#MrSunshine#TheKingEternalMonarch#TheGlory" 28 May, https://twitter.com/Netflix_PH/status/1662724386053316610?s=20
Netflix [@Netflix] (2023). "Dear Yeon-jin... The Glory Part 2 premieres in 12 hours" 9 March, https://twitter.com/netflix/status/1633920666553536513?lang=en