Photo credit: Netflix Korea on Twitter
For two straight weeks last month, a Korean drama series called The Glory was the most-watched show on Netflix, performing near the top of the charts in more than 90 countries, from India to Argentina.
Now, the show about bullying is having a profound influence at home.
South Korea has just announced strict new steps to combat such aggression in its schools. Students with records of bullying will have that reflected in their college application process starting in 2026, Prime Minister Han Duck-soo said in Seoul.
"We can no longer tolerate rampant school violence,” Han told reporters at a briefing on the matter.
"The high interest in a recent TV show that based its story on school violence reflects the public’s stern voice,” he said in separate comments at a committee meeting.
The Glory is a 16-episode show about a woman seeking revenge against tormentors from her childhood. The story is a fictionalized account of revenge based on true acts of bullying that occurred more than two decades ago in the country.
It’s the latest in a string of runaway international successes from the Korean entertainment industry. Others include Squid Game, a dystopian TV series, and the hit film Parasite, which won four Oscars.
But it has also garnered much interest in its home country. Bullying is a contentious issue in South Korea and is seen as a serious offense.
South Korea will also double the length of time that records must be kept of serious bullying cases, Han said.
The country is aiming to "establish the principle of zero tolerance for school violence,” he said.
