Lee Seok-Jae is Kang Hyeon-Nam’s abusive husband in the thriller Kdrama, The Glory, and spends most of his time tormenting his wife and daughter, living most of his life in a drunken stupor and rage.
Hyeon-Nam works as a housemaid for Yeon-Jin when one day she confronts the woman who rummages through the trash of the household outside. However, instead of reporting her, Hyeon-Nam offers Moon Dong-Eun a deal, already knowing that the woman wishes to exact some sort of revenge on the owners.
Hyeon-Nam’s deal entails her helping Dong-Eun in her revenge while she helps her in return. The help that Hyeon-Nam seeks from Dong-Eun is regarding her husband, Lee Seok-Jae.
Seok-Jae’s abuse
Lee Seok-Jae is a drunkard and spends most of his time flailing around the town, downing alcohol incessantly, from the money he snatches away from his working wife, and spending the rest of it on gambling.
Meanwhile, he treats his wife like a toddler treats his plaything since his level of cognition most often matches that of a 2-year-old. This doesn’t excuse or explain his inhuman behavior, no, he’s just as abusive, if not more, when he’s sober as well.
Not only Hyeon-Nam, but also her daughter Sun-A frequently becomes the victim of domestic violence, and the two women have to live in constant suffering and pain while the drunkard drinks his and his family’s lives away.
Hyeon-Nam’s deal
Hyeon-Nam decides to put an end to her misery and give her daughter a chance at a better, brighter future. So she strikes a deal with Dong-Eun and helps her exact her revenge on the bullied that tortured her in the past.
Meanwhile, it’s Dong-Eun’s job to work out a way to dispose of Lee Seok-Jae. She takes her time with it since her revenge needs prioritizing and planning a death needs some time too.
The ending of The Glory sees Dong-Eun come up with a brilliant plan that ties Lee Seok-Jae’s death to her own revenge mission, and with his death, she kills two birds with one stone.
A diabolical plan
Moon Dong-Eun plans to bait Lee Seoj-Jae into blackmailing Hong Yeong-Ae, the mother of her prime bully, Yeon-Jin. She works with Hyeon-Nam to fool Lee Seok-Jae into thinking that his wife has been making money on the side through a shady opportunity.
Hyeon-Nam plants a lot of cash and a burner phone inside her own bag and one day when Lee Seok-Jae is watching TV, intentionally acts dubious with said bag. Seok-Jae’s nose acts up and he snatches the bag away from her, unloading all its content on the floor.
He then asks where the money came from and Hyeon-Nam puts up an Oscar-worthy performance, acting out her reluctance in revealing that the money is from a lady who intends to scare Yeong-Ae, making her know that she knows of her daughter’s murders.
Seok-Jae thinks he’s landed the jackpot and begins threatening Yeong-Ae, to extort money. Yeong-Ae, meanwhile, takes it upon herself to weed him out. She gets him to arrive at a secluded highway in the rain, luring him with money, and runs him over with her car, making it look like vehicular manslaughter.
Lee Seok-Jae finally dies and Hyeon-Nam breaks out in tears of freedom and joy as the source of years of her trauma and abuse has finally been snuffed out. At the end of The Glory, Dong-Eun tips the police off and they investigate the phone records of Yeong-Ae, ultimately arresting her for the murder of Seok-Jae.
Also Read: The Glory part 2 ending explained: Does Dong-Eun get her revenge?