Netflix has announced the premiere date for its new Korean project "East Palace" (동궁). The series, which blends elements of historical saga with occult horror, will focus on the investigation of mysterious events inside a royal residence. The show was directed by Choi Jung Kyu, known for "The Devil Judge" and "Soundtrack #2", while the script was written by Kwon So Ra and Seo Jae Won, co-writers of the horror series "Bulgasal: Immortal Souls" and "The Guest".

The leading roles are played by Nam Joo Hyuk ("Start-Up", "Twenty-Five Twenty-One"), Roh Yoon Seo ("Our Blues") and Cho Seung Woo ("God's Gift - 14 Days", "Sisyphus: The Myth").

For Nam Joo Hyuk, this marks his first role after completing military service. He appears as Gu Cheon (a name meaning "Nine Skies"), a ghost hunter with the unique ability to exist in both the world of the living and the world of the dead. He destroys evil spirits with his own sword.

Roh Yoon Seo plays court lady Saeng Gan, who – unlike her partner – does not fight supernatural forces but can hear their voices. Her character carries a secret that may hold the key to the palace's curse.

Cho Seung Woo takes on the role of the king. In his very own East Palace, sinister ghosts suddenly appear. All efforts to banish them fail, and the king is forced to seek help from his subjects. He hires Gu Cheon and assigns Saeng Gan to assist him.

East Palace – "Tongun" (동궁) – was the palace of the crown prince during the Joseon dynasty, and also a form of address for the heir to the throne. The prince's residence was traditionally placed on the right side of the palace grounds. The east is the direction of the rising sun, and the prince was likened to the rising sun, symbolising "the future monarch".

The ghost hunter and the court lady who can communicate with the dead enter the East Palace – the innermost sanctum of the kingdom – to confront evil. During their investigation, they must grapple with dark secrets from the past, tangled political intrigues, and discover that the thirst for power and old grudges can keep the souls of the dead trapped in the world of the living for years.

Production on the series almost came to a halt because of a major incident. In December 2024, shortly after filming began, a large fire broke out on the set in Misan-myeon.

https://fanasia.ru/news/semochnaja_ploshhadka_novogo_korejskogo_okkultnogo_seriala_netflix_sgorela_dotla/2024-12-24-3006

The blaze started late at night, at 2:08 local time. The fire completely destroyed a pavilion building covering 3,655 square metres, as well as the lighting equipment and sets inside. Fortunately, no one was hurt – at the time of the fire, no personnel were on site. A level one emergency was declared, and fire crews brought the blaze under control in about two hours. However, the incident caused significant delays: production was halted for several weeks, and the crew had to rebuild the destroyed sets almost from scratch. This incident, fortunately, did not affect the final quality of the project, but it did make life considerably more difficult for its creators.

The drama's filming period, which spanned half of 2025, was also marked by challenging weather conditions. Eyewitnesses shared footage on social media of the crew working on snow-covered locations, which added an extra layer of atmosphere to the mystical story.

"East Palace" will be released on Netflix on July 17.

Sources 1, 2, 3, 4