Sandglass

Set against the backdrop of South Korea's most turbulent political era from the 1970s through the 1980s, 'Sandglass' chronicles the intertwined lives of three young people shaped by history. Park Tae-soo rises from a troubled youth to become a powerful gangster enforcer, while his loyal friend Kang Woo-suk studies law and becomes a principled prosecutor. Caught between them is Yoon Hye-bin, the daughter of a wealthy casino mogul who struggles against patriarchal control and falls in love with Tae-soo. As South Korea undergoes massive political upheavals—culminating in the Gwangju Uprising of 1980—the characters' personal ambitions and relationships are torn apart by state violence, corruption, and moral compromises. Woo-suk ultimately must face the agonizing duty of prosecuting his childhood friend Tae-soo, highlighting the tragic price paid by individuals caught in the machinery of a changing nation. Widely regarded as a national phenomenon and one of the most influential K-dramas of all time, it famously emptied the streets of Seoul during its broadcast.