A Criminal Psychology Expert Analyzes Why “The Glory” Park Yeon Jin’s Behaviors Reflect Former Serial Killers

In a recent episode of JaeJae‘s YouTube interview show MMTG, a criminal psychology expert joined to analyze the behaviors of characters from Netflix‘s The Glory.

The guests were comedian Jang Do Yeon and Park Ji Sun, a professor of social psychology, an expert advisor for the sentencing commission of the Supreme Court of Korea, and an advisor for forensic investigation for the National Police Agency. She is an expert at examining a wide range of crimes—from murder and sexual offenses to kidnapping and animal abuse—and analyzing criminal behavior and psychology to understand the different types of criminals and identify their respective characteristics.

In the episode, Park Ji Sun watched clips of The Glory‘s villain, Park Yeon Jin, a perpetrator who heavily abused Moon Dong Eun in high school and murdered two people, then analyzed the character’s behaviors.

After watching a scene of a young Park Yeon Jin stealing Moon Dong Eun’s money and torturing her, JaeJae asked a question we all thought at least once:

Park Yeon Jin is a psychopath, right?

— JaeJae

To this, Park Ji Sun explained a different type of psychopath—the white-collar psychopath.

Real psychopaths are actually not in jail. White-collar psychopaths exploit their high status and reputation to commit crimes in the course of performing their professional duties.

— Professor Park Ji Sun

That’s why Park Yeon Jin is able to escape from a lot of the messes she creates. Park Ji Sun also pointed out that it is common for high school bullies to stand back and let others do the “dirty work” so that there is no “blood on their hands“—just like Park Yeon Did in The Glory.

There are bullies who give directions to others so they aren’t physically exposed in any way.

— Professor Park Ji Sun

Next, they watched the scene where Park Yeon Jin, afraid that her truth will be revealed, talks to her husband about forgetting about the past so that no one gets hurt—especially their daughter, Ha Ye Sol.

In response to this clip, Park Ji Sun pointed out a keyword: manipulation.

Park Yeon Jin uses manipulation, or the controlling of one’s mind, by not only talking about how things affect her but their daughter. She says to her husband, Ha Do Young, “I won’t let Ye Sol get hurt,” indirectly threatening Ha Do Young with the safety of his precious daughter. By bringing up their daughter, Yeon Jin is indirectly telling Do Young that if he doesn’t do what she says, Ye Sol will get hurt.

Then the conversation about Ye Sol led to an epiphany that shocked everybody in the studio.

They watched the scene where Ye Sol finds out that her mother used to hurt and burn people’s skins with a curling iron, and Park Yeon Jin is scrambling to not let the news get to her daughter. Ye Sol, however, tells Yeon Jin that she already knows about her past and says the words that crush her mother’s heart:

I’m not proud of you anymore, Mom.

— Ha Ye Sol in The Glory

Yeon Jin is shocked and devastated to hear this from her daughter, and Park Ji Sun says it looks like Yeon Jin does seem to truly love her daughter—but even serial killers loved their children.

Park Ji Sun brought up the chilling fact that serial killers Yoo Young Chul and Kang Ho Sun genuinely loved their kids, too. Yoo Young Chul killed over 20 people without batting an eye, yet he admitted that the moment he was the most afraid was when his son called him while he was in the act of murdering.

Serial killer Kang Ho Sun who killed 10 women including his wife didn’t want to reveal his face to the public because he was worried about how it may negatively affect his children.

These murderers can commit the most gruesome crimes as if they have no emotions, yet they get embarrassed and afraid to let their precious kids see or know about their acts.

We don’t know for sure if Park Yeon Jin is a psychopath or not, but one thing is clear: it is possible for people who commit heinous crimes and do not bat an eye at murder to have real love and emotions for their child.