The Sandglass is a story of two men whose friendship is put to the test through the 1970s and 1980s, one of Korea's politically tumultuous periods. Park Tae-soo, tough and loyal, grows up to become a gangster and Kang Woo-suk, smart with firm moral values, grows up to become a prosecutor. Yoon Hye-rin, a beautiful and spirited daughter of a very wealthy casino owner, is a classmate of Woo-suk in college. Hye-rin is introduced to Tae-soo via Woo-suk and they subsequently fall in love.
AWARDS
| Year | Award | Category | Recipient |
| 1995 | 31st Baeksang Arts Awards | Daesang (Grand Prize) for Television | Sandglass |
| 1995 | 31st Baeksang Arts Awards | Best Drama | Sandglass |
| 1995 | 31st Baeksang Arts Awards | Best Director (TV) | Kim Jong-hak |
| 1995 | 31st Baeksang Arts Awards | Best Screenplay (TV) | Song Ji-na |
| 1995 | 31st Baeksang Arts Awards | Best Actor (TV) | Choi Min-soo |
| 1995 | 31st Baeksang Arts Awards | Best New Actor (TV) | Lee Jung-jae |
| 1995 | 22nd Korean Broadcasting Awards | Best Drama | Sandglass |
| 1995 | 22nd Korean Broadcasting Awards | Best Writer | Song Ji-na |
| 1995 | 22nd Korean Broadcasting Awards | Best Actor | Choi Min-soo |
| 1995 | 3rd SBS Drama Awards | Daesang (Grand Prize) | Choi Min-soo |
| 1996 | 3rd SBS Drama Awards | Top Excellence Award, Actor | Park Sang-won |
| 1995 | 3rd SBS Drama Awards | Best New Actor | Lee Jung-jae |
| 1996 | 8th Producers Association Awards | Daesang (Grand Prize) |
Sandglass |
| 1996 | 8th Producers Association Awards | Best Drama | Sandglass |
