Exclusive: Nam Joo-hyuk and Roh Yoon-seo Talk ‘The East Palace’

What if the only way to stop a royal curse was to cross into the spirit realm? After captivating audiences with Twenty-Five Twenty-One and Our Beloved Summer, respectively, Nam Joo-hyuk and Roh Yoon-seo are joining forces for some ghostbusting duties in one of this year’s most anticipated K-dramas. 

With restless spirits on the loose and palace secrets buried deep, The East Palace blends historical intrigue, supernatural mystery, and romance into a gripping tale set within the haunted walls of the Joseon royal court.

The fantasy series follows Gu-cheon (Nam Joo-hyuk), a man with the ability to cross the border into the shadowy Realm of Gwi, cutting down spirits that stray too close to the real world. He’s paired with Saeng-gang (Roh Yoon-seo), a gifted court lady who can communicate with the spirit world, to unravel the truth behind an ancient and sinister curse that threatens the palace. 

As Gu-cheon and Saeng-gang move between palace corridors and the borderland of the Realm of Gwi, they uncover what lies buried at the heart of the palace—and how the past is dangerously entangled. 

Ahead, we caught up with Nam Joo-hyuk and Roh Yoon-seo to talk about stepping into this supernatural world and what to expect.

What aspects of your character do you admire the most?

Nam Joo-hyuk (NJH): For me, one thing I admire is Gu-cheon’s tenacity. The way he is so persistent in getting something done when he sets his mind to it. Then again, I do feel like I already have some of it…but I’ll go with tenacity. [laughs]

Roh Yoon-seo (RYS): For me, it’s how Saeng-gang is such a proactive character. She’s a go-getter and very quick to put into action what she’s thinking. On my off days, I’m a homebody, and I love lying around. [laughs] I think it would help me if I could be a little more proactive, just like Saeng-gang is.

Nam Joo-hyuk, you’ve captivated audiences as a romance lead on-screen. How do you feel about transforming into an action star for The East Palace?

NJH: I joined this series because I wanted to steal the hearts of hardcore action fans, as well. So that’s why I left romance for a while to come into this genre. But let me assure you, I’ll be back in romance soon!

Speaking of that, how did you prepare for your action scenes?

NJH: It was quite literally every single day of training. Going to action school for training sessions, working on our rehearsals for each separate action sequence. Even mid-shooting, I would go to action school to practice the next choreography and return to set. I would also practice them at home. I was constantly thinking about the blocking and sequence, which went on every day during filming, and this included image training, as well.

The East Palace explores aspects of shamanism and Korean folklore. How do you think this series will help spread Korean culture or history to a global audience?

RYS: Every country has its own folklore, traditional scary stories, and ghosts. I think through The East Palace, the world is going to be newly introduced to traditional Korean spirits and gwima (demons) that they haven’t seen before. I’m really excited for everyone to meet them.

The East Palace is available to stream on Netflix.

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