Meet the Cast of the Korean Drama Series ‘The Glory’
The Glory fans, rejoice: The second installment of the K-drama is now streaming on Netflix. If you’ve just discovered the series or need a brush-up on who’s who, read on for a breakdown of all the main characters — aka Dong-eun (Song Hye-kyo) and all her nemeses and allies. To refresh your memory on what’s gone down so far, check out the ending explainer for the season’s first half.
Ever think about the bullies from your high school and wish you could have delivered the perfect comeback to stop them from ever messing with you again? Well, The Glory is like that — if your comeback also involved a healthy amount of violence. A-lister Song and Baeksang–winning screenwriter Kim Eun-sook pair up for the first time since Descendants of the Sun, one of the most popular K-dramas ever; this time, their focus is revenge.
In The Glory, Dong-eun survives horrific abuse by high school bullies, then spends decades planning an elaborate scheme to make her abusers pay for their crimes. Nothing is off the table — as evidenced by a sneak peek in Episode 1 of our main character staple-gunning her biggest nemesis in the head. (Hey, don’t get any ideas.)
Song Hye-kyo
Severely bullied in high school, Dong-eun’s abusers burned, assaulted and mocked her, but no one — not even her mother or teachers — stepped in to protect her. Since dropping out to escape it all, Dong-eun has spent years preparing for revenge. After becoming a teacher at an elementary school attended by one of her bully’s kids, she starts closing in on her assailants — intending to hit them where it will hurt the most.
Superstar actor and model Song’s career skyrocketed after starring in the series All In and Full House, and the movie My Girl and I. More recently, she starred in the popular K-drama Descendants of the Sun.
You can follow Song on Instagram.
Jung Ji-so
Jung Ji-so plays Dong-eun as a high school student. Jung is best known for playing flirtatious tutee Park Da-hye in Bong Joon-ho’s Oscar-winning movie Parasite.
You can follow Jung on Instagram.
Lee Do-hyun
Medical intern Joo Yeo-jeong meets Dong-eun when they’re both inpatients at the hospital where he works. The two get to know each other while playing Go in the park, but Dong-eun is too focused on her revenge plot to see that Yeo-jeong’s totally into her. She’s also wary of his privileged life: Yeo-jeong’s father ran the hospital where he’s now employed. Despite it all, Dong-eun and Yeo-jeong’s paths continue to intersect as she gets closer and closer to taking out her enemies.
Rising star Lee Do-hyun was put on the map after starring in the drama series Hotel del Luna. The following year, he won a Baeksang award for his performance in 18 Again (adapted from the Zac Efron movie 17 Again). More recently, Lee starred in Netflix’s apocalyptic horror series Sweet Home.
You can follow Lee on Instagram.
Lim Ji-yeon
As a teen, spoiled and rich Yeon-jin was the ringleader in her friend group, and the most conniving of Dong-eun’s bullies. Her well-to-do family ensured she never got in trouble for her crimes. As an adult, Yeon-jin is living her dream as a local weathercaster, is married to a powerful man and has an adorable young daughter. But Yeon-jin has no idea Dong-eun has been tracking her — and her family — for years.
APAN Star Award winner and Baeksang Arts Awards nominee Lim Ji-yeon is known for starring in the erotic thriller Obsessed and for the series High Society and Welcome 2 Life.
You can follow Lim on Instagram.
Shin Ye-eun
Shin Ye-eun plays Yeon-jin as a high school student. Shin got her start in the popular web series A-Teen. Most recently, she starred in the series Revenge of Others and He Is Psychometric.
You can follow Shin on Instagram.
Yeom Hye-ran
Kang Hyeon-nam works as a housemaid for Dong-eun’s biggest former bully, Yeon-jin. One night, she catches Dong-eun going through Yeon-jin’s trash. Instead of reporting her, Hyeon-nam offers to help Dong-eun. In exchange, Dong-eun is tasked with keeping Hyeon-nam’s abusive husband away — forever.
Yeom Hye-ran won a Baeksang Arts Award for her supporting role in the series The Uncanny Encounter. Along with her starring roles in films like When the Camellia Blooms and Black Light, Yeom was also featured in Bong Joon-ho’s film noir Memories of Murder.
Park Sung-hoon
Jeon Jae-jun was another of Dong-eun’s bullies. Now he’s all grown up and owns a ritzy golf club. Jae-jun is still just as arrogant and insufferable as he was in high school — but now it’s Dong-eun who has the power to destroy his life.
Actor Park Sung-hoon is best known for starring in the found footage horror movie Gonjiam: Haunted Asylum. He also starred in the series Into the Ring and Psychopath Diary.
You can follow Park on Instagram.
Jung Sung-il
The CEO of a prominent construction company and Yeon-jin’s husband, Ha Do-yeong uses his loads of money to make their family’s problems disappear. One night, he befriends Dong-eun while playing Go, not realizing she’s been stalking his family for years.
Up-and-coming television actor Jung Sung-il has played supporting roles in the series When Flowers Bloom, I Think of the Moon and Birthcare Center, among others.
You can follow Jung on Instagram.
Kim Hieora
One of the school bullies who made Dong-eun’s life miserable during high school, Lee Sa-ra is now in her 30s and a painter. She’s self-indulgent and chaotic, often buying drugs from her old friend from high school, Son Myeong-o.
Another rising star, actor and singer Kim Hieora was featured in the Netflix series Extraordinary Attorney Woo, as well as the Netflix series Bad and Crazy alongside her The Glory castmate Jung.
You can follow Kim on Instagram.
Cha Joo-young
Choi Hye-jeong joined others bullying Dong-eun in high school mainly to stay close with her wealthy friends. She was often belittled by her besties for coming from a blue-collar family. Now a flight attendant desperate to marry rich, the dynamic with her friends is just as toxic as it used to be.
Actor Cha Joo-young’s most memorable roles include parts in Cheese in the Trap and The Spies Who Loved Me.
You can follow Cha on Instagram.
Kim Gun-woo
Creepy former bully Son Myeong-o has always done whatever Jae-jun told him to do, and as an adult he’s still his lackey. But when Dong-eun shows up out of nowhere, she may end up giving him a way out of his parasitic relationship with Jae-jun.
Kim Gun-woo starred in the series Less than Evil, a Korean adaptation of the British series Luther. He was also featured in the popular young adult series Record of Youth.