K-Drama Fans Discuss “The Glory” Actress’s Impressive Growth Over The Years

Lim Ji Yeon has solidified her status as a versatile actor with her spine-chilling performance in The Glory. While global audiences are blown away by her portrayal of the psychopathic villain Park Yeon Jin, Korean netizens are amazed at her growth, given that back in the days, her acting chops used to be in the spotlight for all the wrong reasons.

On March 11, a Korean netizen posted an article discussing the actor’s improvement in an online community. The OP (original poster) mentioned Lim’s 2014 movie Obsessed, where she starred alongside actors like Song Seun Heong and Jo Yeo Jeong. The movie itself earned average ratings, but Lim’s performance was so heavily criticized that the search results for her name on Google still include “Lim Ji Yeon Acting,” “Lim Ji Yeon Acting Controversy,” and “Lim Ji Yeon Acting Criticism.”

In 2015, she starred in a K-Drama called High Society with Park Hyung Sik, and her performance there didn’t impress viewers either. Media outlets openly called out her lousy acting skills in their headlines. Columnist Heo Ji Woong once criticized Lim on the show Ssulzun saying that she “has a great face but can’t act.”

 It’s Time For “High Society” Actress Lim Ji Yeon To Work On Her Acting, Instead of Nude Scenes.

—Headline from June 2015

Lim took all the adverse reactions gracefully, stating that as a rookie, it’s only normal that her performance is not satisfactory.

Translation:

Headline: “Criticism Over My Acting? It Makes Sense,” Says Actress Lim Ji Yeon.

Caption: [No-Cut Interview] “I’m still a rookie… I’m always lacking and regretting.”

But after 2019, Lim Ji Yeon was able to turn the tide around with Tazza: One Eyed Jack. Her acting in the movie earned her more praise than criticism. However, her most significant works, according to OP, are her 2022 projects, which include House of Lies, Money Heist: Korea – Joint Economic Area, and The Glory.

The post went viral, garnering over 150,000 views within a day. Most of the comments under it agree that Lim Ji Yeon’s progress as an actor is evident, and she has been able to turn her critics into admirers because of that.

• “She was, indeed, one of those actresses I did not really imagine a future for.”
• “She does way better with villain roles, though.”
• “Agreed. I saw ‘Obsessed’ at the theater and… LOL. My friend and I had a heated discussion over who was the worse actor; The male lead or the female lead. But she graduated from a good school. So she might have always had it in her.”
• “I’ve rooted for her since ‘Windy Mipoong’ days. I’m so happy for her success.”
• “The first time I saw her act was in ‘House of Lies,’ so I had no idea she had controversies surrounding her acting skills in the past. Haha. ‘House of Lies’ is a good series; She’s amazing in that, too.”
• “THIS! I remember watching her in her debut works and thinking she was really awkward. But I didn’t hate her or anything. She did surprise me a lot with ‘The Glory,’ for sure. Haha. She made an incredible improvement. People won’t remember her past hiccups.”
• “She improved so, SO much. I think she’s one of those actors who matures with each work.”
• “Her acting was INCREDIBLE.”
• “I have to assume she trained so hard for this role. Park Yeon Jin is her greatest accomplishment.”
• “I didn’t watch ‘Obsessed,’ but I did watch ‘Windy Mipoong.’ And, because she played a character from North Korea, I thought she was a bit awkward. But she’s amazing in’ The Glory.'”
• “Wait, she’s the female lead from ‘Obsessed’?! WTF, her acting got so much better! TBH, I thought it was because she was such a newbie actress. The male lead, Song Seung Hun, was the bigger problem for that movie.”
• “Seriously, though. She’s incredible in Part 2. I feel like she got more screen time than Song Hye Kyo. But it was okay because she was significant, and her acting was on point.”
• “I watched a lot of her works and… NGL, I used to think she signed with a powerful management company because she’d take on roles way too big for her skill set. But ever since ‘Money Heist’ and ‘The Glory,’ I changed my mind about her. She’s so good at acting now.”
• “She wasn’t all that good in the beginning. But as far as I remember, she has been stable since’ Tazza.'”
• “I’ve never actually thought anything positive about her acting in the past. But these days, I’m certainly impressed!”
• “She’s so good at acting that whenever she’s on the screen, I get so pissed off and impressed at the same time.”
• “I’ve always liked her, actually. There’s something special about her vibe. Haha. I enjoyed ‘Obsessed,’ too.”
• “I actually think she over-does it with her facial expressions in some scenes. But the charisma in her eyes… It’s insane. I bet she passed out after shooting her scenes [in ‘The Glory’]. Like, I can tell she poured her soul and body into acting.”