Diego Peralta
Netflix continues its strategy to create anticipation surrounding their slate of South Korean films and television series around the world. The East Palace tells the unpredictable story of Gu-cheon (Nam Joo-hyuk) a young man who has the ability to see spirits beyond our dimension. The television series will heat up the summer for audiences, with a mystery that will keep everyone who watches it on the edge of their seat.
The East Palace is also led by Roh Yoon-seo’s Saeng-gang, a court lady who hides a devastatingly important secret about their past. Together, these heroes have to figure out a way to heal the connection between two worlds before it’s too late. Awards Radar had the opportunity to interview both Nam Joo-hyuk and Roh Yoon-seo, with both stars excited about viewers finding out what might turn The East Palace into the world’s favorite television show for the summer.
Nam Joo-hyuk’s protagonist, Gu-cheon, begins his journey as a tormented man. The hero has the ability to see and interact with spirits from around the land, making it impossible for him to sleep properly or to build a healthy social life. The actor was encouraged to share more about the way in which Gu-cheon treats people due to the burden of his powers: “I think he treats spirits like people a little bit more. Not to say that he treats all spirits like that, but as I come to think of it, I think it’s just fifty-fifty. He doesn’t treat all people like spirits, but he definitely treats some people like them. I think it’s half and half for Gu-cheon.”
The East Palace aims to hook audiences into the complicated relationship between the two protagonists right from the start. Nam Joo-hyuk understands that, in order for the world building established on the series to work, the dynamic between Gu-cheon and Saeng-gang needed to be intense: “This is something that I felt while we were shooting together. The chemistry just only got better. I think that, as actors, our chemistry was great, but also, as characters. (Gu-cheon and Saeng-gang)’s chemistry, there was a moment in which it really peaked, and it got close to perfection. If I had to give a score, I would give it 150 out of 100.”
It’s hard for any problem to stop Saeng-gang. The court lady knows exactly who she is, but viewers will be surprised to learn early on that the character is actually the King’s (Cho Seung-woo) daughter. Surprisingly, the relationship between the monarch and his kid is fragile, leading Saeng-gang to become a court lady instead of an heir.
Roh Yoon-seo talked about why Saeng-gang wouldn’t have chosen any other life for herself, even if it meant not being given what she was owed due to her gender: “Honestly, if she didn’t have these traumatic memories as a child, of being driven out of the palace, and having such a painful childhood, I think she might have liked living in the palace. However, knowing everything that she knows now, including the pain that she harbors. Look at the kind of person she is. She’s very ambitious, she’s active. She likes to solve problems. I think she could be happier outside of the palace. I think just being with Gu-cheon, taking matters into her own hands.”
Gu-cheon’s ability to see spirits is introduced as an overwhelming challenge for the protagonist of the show. Nam Joo-hyuk explains why the young man is so damaged by the time audiences get to meet him in The East Palace. It turns out that Gu-cheon wants to help, but he needs to consider the cost it has for him: “It’s not that he was against using his powers for good. It’s just that the more he steps into the Realm of Gwi, he loses a lot of his young energy. If he loses a lot of it, he could become a spirit himself, or even worse. He really doesn’t like going, stepping into that world of the spirits. He wants to stay as far away from it as possible. However, knowing that it was inevitable, I think it was just him trying to make sure that he doesn’t get hurt too much.”
The plot of The East Palace jumps into hyper-speed when the King seeks out Gu-cheon for advice. A terrifying presence roams the halls of the palace, and the young man might be the only one gifted enough to deal with it. Nam Joo-hyuk reflected about what starting this journey meant for Gu-cheon, and whether anything else might have served as a better call to action for the spiritual advisor of The East Palace: “If that hadn’t happened, he would’ve never left his comfort zone. He was very content with his his life was going at the time. He had reach a certain level in life and in thought that would have made it impossible for him to move out of his comfort zone.”
The production design for The East Palace is as intricate as anything Netflix has delivered in the United States. Roh Yoon-seo was marveled at how the art department for the show allowed her to enhance her performance due to the care put into the construction of the sets: “I’ve never been into the Realm of Gwi. I have to say that this lakeside (gestures towards the illustrated background for the interview), with its cherry blossoms was amazing. Our art team did an incredible job making it more beautiful than the actual lake is. That’s the place that I remember being just so incredibly beautiful.”
This interview was edited for length and clarity purposes. The East Palace is now available for streaming on Netflix.
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