How 'The Glory' helped this Korean bullying victim find justice

A South Korean woman named Pyo Ye-rim has come forward with her experience of being bullied for over a decade by the same four people.

The Youtuber was inspired to tell her story, which has been picked up by South Korean TV stations, after watching the hit Netflix K-drama The Glory.

Now 28 years old, Pyo grew up in Euiryeong, South Gyeongsang Province. Her town was so small that she attended class with the same classmates from elementary to high school, letting the bullying persist for 12 years.

Pyo said she was targeted by the perpetrators who appeared to have anger issues since she was quiet and a loner. The bullying involved abusive language and physical assault, including an instance where they dragged her to a restroom and forced her head into a toilet.

Although she was quiet, the victim told a teacher about what was happening.

"In one incident, Pyo was called out by one of the four and began getting beaten during the class. A teacher was there, but didn't say anything," a classmate of hers said on a YouTube stream.

She admitted giving up on asking for help after a bad incident involving an instructor, which in turn raised concerns about teacher negligence much like what was portrayed in The Glory.

"I told one teacher that I had been bullied. It took me great courage to open up. But all I received were questions that made me feel like it was my fault," Pyo said in a report by The Korea Times.

Pursuing legal justice eight years after graduation, Pyo's challenge is proving the crime as she did not keep records of her injuries while teachers refused to testify to avoid being accused of negligence. This is on top of the reported threats she receives from her perpetrators.

Fortunately, one alleged former classmate offered help by creating a YouTube account where they identified all four perpetrators, including their past and present pictures and occupations. The said classmate explained she was inspired to help Pyo after watching The Glory.

Pyo has since filed a petition that she linked on her YouTube video with over 72,000 views as of writing.

The Glory revolves around a woman who suffered childhood violence and now dedicates her life to executing a series of vengeful acts against her bullies and their accomplices. It is based on the writer's personal horror story, as well as real-life incidents in South Korea.