Nam Joo Hyuk, Cho Seung Woo, and Noh Yoon Seo discuss new Netflix occult fantasy series 'The East Palace'

08 Jul 2026, 05:37 by spjw99 · allkpop

The cast and director of the upcoming Netflix series 'The East Palace' held a press conference in Seoul for the occult fantasy drama. Actors Nam Joo Hyuk, Noh Yoon Seo, and Cho Seung Woo, along with director Choi Jung Kyu, spoke about the project on July 8 at the Fairmont Ambassador Seoul.

Set to be released on July 17, 'The East Palace' tells the story of Gucheon (Nam Joo Hyuk), a man with the ability to traverse the world of ghosts, and Saenggak (Noh Yoon Seo), a court lady with a hidden secret. Together, they are summoned by the King (Cho Seung Woo) to unravel a mysterious curse that has befallen the Eastern Palace. Director Choi Jung Kyu explained that while the story is based on Korean folklore, he focused on making it universally appealing with a strong sense of pace and rhythm for a global audience.

The series marks Nam Joo Hyuk's first project since completing his military service. He revealed that he received the script while serving, which sparked his imagination. "The army is a place where you have a lot of moments to let your imagination run wild. The desire to take on this challenge surged within me," he shared. He added that he jumped into filming immediately after his discharge, driven by a strong sense of responsibility, and prepared for the demanding action scenes by practicing relentlessly at an action school.

For Noh Yoon Seo, 'The East Palace' is her first venture into the historical drama genre. She candidly admitted her initial struggles, saying, "My biggest thought was that I shouldn't be a burden." She worked hard to master the proper vocalization and posture, which she said became more natural over time. She also expressed excitement for a unique ghost character called "Kkeomeoksari," playfully predicting it could become a "global mascot."

Veteran actor Cho Seung Woo, returning to the small screen after three years, humorously explained his decision to join the cast. "I thought, 'I can finally play a king'," he joked, adding, "It's my third project with the director, and I thought it wouldn't be bad to ride on the coattails of today's hottest actors." On a more serious note, he described the show as a rich blend of occult, action, and fantasy, and spoke about the difficulty of portraying a king consumed by anguish and filming intense action sequences against unseen CGI foes.

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