A royal summons usually involves matters of protocol and etiquette — not of tormented ghosts. But in The East Palace, a new Korean series now streaming on Netflix, clearing them out of the king’s home is the assignment.
The East Palace follows Gu-cheon, who moves between the realms of the living and the dead, and Saeng-gang, a lady of the court guarding a secret of her own. When the king calls on them to unravel the mysteries of the palace, they’re drawn into a world where power, hidden histories, and restless spirits are bound together by a dangerous curse. Writers Kwon So-ra and Seo Jea-won, known for weaving Korean occultism into series like Bulgasal: Immortal Souls and The Guest, join forces with director Choi Jung-kyu (The Devil Judge, Children of Nobody) to bring this supernatural drama to life.
Here’s everything to know about The East Palace.
In this supernatural version of Joseon-era Korea, the crown prince of the East Palace is found dead in the nearby pond. A rumor spreads that this is the work of the pond spirit, who, 30 years ago, cursed the palace and swore to kill the royal bloodline.
With the court in panic, the king (Cho Seung-woo), secretly summons a spirit slayer. Nam Joo-hyuk (Twenty Five Twenty One, Start-Up) plays Gu-cheon, the hired killer of all matter of gwi, who investigates the unnerving incidents at the palace with a blade that can cut down spirits. Roh Yoon-seo (Crash Course in Romance, 20th Century Girl) plays a court lady named Saeng-gang, whose ability to hear the voices of the dead aids Gu-cheon as they navigate the palace’s long-buried secrets.
The king tasks the duo to find and destroy the pond spirit and protect the royal bloodline before his last son is killed…or else.
Learn more details about the cast and characters of the series here.
The eight-part series was released on Netflix on July 17.
Watch the chilling trailer at the top of the page.
To dive deeper into the gripping finale of the series, read our breakdown and recap of the ending, which includes commentary from leads Nam Joo-hyuk and Roh Yoon-seo. Note: major spoilers ahead.
