"The Glory," a Korean drama series, has gained worldwide critical acclaim for its heat and quality. With the last 8 episodes aired, the show has received astounding scores, including a rare 100% on the "Average Tomatometer" scale for a Korean drama series on Rotten Tomatoes. The show has also received high scores from audiences, with an average audience score of 96%.
The praise has been mostly directed towards Song Hye Kyo's performance as Moon Dong Eun, who seeks revenge. Critics have praised the show's compelling storyline and visually attractive cinematography. The show has also received high scores on IMDb and Douban, ranging from 7.9 to 9.6 out of 10.
"The Glory" marks the glorious return of Song Hye Kyo after years of criticism. Her haunting performance and narrative threading keep viewers glued to the screen. Other actresses, such as Lim Yi Jeon, are also lauded for their persuasive performances and are discussed on social media.
Despite premiering a month ago, the show continues to generate significant interest among viewers, particularly as the second installment approaches its airing date.
Here are Seven interesting facts about The Glory featuring Song Hye Kyo that you do not know.
Number one. Writer Kim Eun Sook is paid a substantial salary per episode. Before the premiere of The Glory, Kim Eun Sook was already regarded as one of the most accomplished writers in Korean television. As such, it's not surprising that she receives a salary of up to 81,000 USD per episode.
Number two. The inspiration for the drama came to Writer Kim Eun Sook after the birth of her daughter. While Song Hye Kyo's portrayal in The Glory is deserving of praise, the writer behind the drama, Kim Eun Sook, also deserves recognition for her skillful script. When queried about the source of inspiration for the drama, Kim Eun Sook stated that it came from a question her daughter asked her: "Mom, which would make you more heartbroken: if I killed someone or if someone killed me?"
Number three. The reason Moon Dong Eun plays Go. In the game of Go, the objective is to quietly strategize to capture the opponent's territory and expand one's own. This parallels the desires of the main character Moon Dong Eun, who seeks to quietly orchestrate events to gradually ruin the lives of her high school bullies.
Number four. Song Hye Kyo spent 2 months preparing for the revealing scene. The scene in which Moon Dong Eun disrobes and displays her scars was one of the most impactful moments. According to the screenwriter, Song Hye Kyo dedicated 2 months to shedding weight in order to achieve the haunting image. To achieve this, Song Hye Kyo incorporated konjac, a type of food derived from yams that is popular in Japan and often used in weight-loss diets, into her meals.
Number five. The Glory marks Park Yeon Jin's first villain role. The Glory is seen as a career risk for Song Hye Kyo, who has long been associated with a specific image. Her portrayal of a nefarious woman consumed by revenge has been met with acclaim from audiences and critics alike. However, the drama holds significance not only for Song Hye Kyo but also for actress Lim Ji Yeon, who is known for her steamy roles, as it marks her debut as a villain.
Number six. The school violence depicted in The Glory was based on real-life events. During the early stages of filming, viewers were horrified by the depiction of school violence suffered by high school student Moon Dong Eun. These scenes were actually based on a real incident that occurred in 2006. At that time, a female student in Cheongju was repeatedly attacked by her classmates, who used iron rods and hairpins to inflict injuries on her arms and chest. The victim was also subjected to blackmail.
Number seven. Song Hye Kyo wanted to depict her character as aged as possible. In bringing her character to life, Song Hye Kyo suggested ways to make Moon Dong Eun appear "as old as possible" by unbuttoning her shirt or wearing natural makeup, to convey the sense that she was devoting all her time to planning her revenge.
I grew up all over Luzon because of the nature of my father’s work. I can remember Dagupan City, it has helped a lot in shaping my childhood, we stayed there for about 5 years. Then in one of the islands in Hundred Islands, I couldn’t remember how long. Then there was Los Baños Laguna, 7 colorful years there. And of course Mandaluyong City. Then from Luzon I came to Cotabato City where I experienced my first “culture shock”. But I later learned to love the people and the place and stayed there for two years. Now I’m here in General Santos City (the Pacquiao town) where I met my destined lifetime partner who is a Visayan who could speak Tagalog, English, and some Ilonggdo.
My father is Ilocano, my mother Ilonga, but I grew up speaking Tagalog because that was what my family use at home. I have a 3 year old gwapong long haired son named Joshua Daniel and for now my world and joy is almost inside my family lang, wife and mother muna. I studied in UPLB (Communication Arts Major in Theater Arts for Children) and Mass Communication at Ramon Magsaysay Memorial Colleges where I met my husband. He was teaching there part-time and I was in one of his Essay Writing classes. He encourages me to write and to blog. He majored in English but is so enamored with the language of computers. He takes care of the technical side of this blog and as much as possible does not get his hands wet with painting my emotions in my posts.
