Jo Seung-woo gives Nam Joo-hyuk no choice in The East Palace
by lovepark
Ahead of its premiere this week, Netflix has dropped a four minute preview for the upcoming sageuk horror The East Palace. Starring Nam Joo-hyuk (Vigilante) in his first drama appearance since his military enlistment, he plays a spirit-catcher tasked by Joseon king Jo Seung-woo (Divorce Attorney Shin) to lift the curse plaguing his bloodline.
The preview begins with Gu-cheon’s (Nam Joo-hyuk) capture as he finds himself inside the palace and in front of the king. Behind the opulence, the royal residence has another, more sinister side, and the king explains how the crown prince died. A spirit bewitched him, and before his death, vowed to wipe out the East Palace. Now his one remaining son is at death’s door.
The king orders Gu-cheon to get rid of the spirit, but the spirit-catcher tells him that it is no longer here. He roams the grounds in search of the ghost, but as soon as he gets the chance, Gu-cheon attempts to escape. Alas, the palace guards catch him the moment he jumps the walls and drags him back to the king.
Drawing his blade, the king threatens to cut off his feet if he tries to flee again, cut off his jaw if he tells anyone why he is here, and cut off his head if he fails to catch the ghost and protect his son. The king informs Gu-cheon that once someone enters the palace, the only way to leave is through death, so if the spirit-catcher wants to see another day, then he better stop the ghost.
Hinted at the end of the preview, Roh Yoon-seo (The Frog) plays Court Lady Saeng-gang who can hear the dead. She will lend a hand to the spirit-catcher, but will they be able to stop the curse or end up as his namesake and fall to the nine hells?
Along with the preview, a batch of stills have also been released featuring the cast as well as some scenic shots. Directed by PD Choi Jung-kyu (Soundtrack #2, The Devil Judge) with scripts by the team behind Bulgasal: Immortal Souls and The Guest, Kwon Sora and Seo Jae-won, The East Palace drops all 8 episodes on Netflix this Friday, July 17.
Via Newsen (1), (2)