Character Relationship Map: The Ugly

Characters

• Im Yeong-gyu (played by Kwon Hae-hyo) — protagonist

  Blind elderly seal-engraving master celebrated as a 'living miracle,' whose outward artistic success masks a bitter, resentful nature shaped by lifelong societal humiliation and manipulation.

• Jung Young-hee (played by Shin Hyun-been) — supporting

  Mother of Dong-hwan, posthumously vilified as 'Dung Ogre' and physically 'ugly,' but revealed to be a brave, kind-hearted woman who suffered for speaking out against workplace abuse and rape.

• Baek Ju-sang (played by Kim Jae-rok) — supporting

  Older version of the tyrannical boss and former employer, responsible for Young-hee's firing and abuse, and later manipulating Yeong-gyu into murder.

Key Relationships

• Jung Young-hee → Baek Ju-sang (Conflict Workplace Abuser)
• Im Yeong-gyu → Baek Ju-sang (Power Manipulator)
• Im Yeong-gyu → Jung Young-hee (Family Husband)

Story Analysis

A documentary uncovers a decades-old murder, exposing how societal cruelty and manipulation distort truth and beauty.

Plot Progression

1. The Living Miracle
2. Shadows of the Factory
3. The Confession
4. The Hidden Photo