That script has now become his first project since completing military service. Set for release on July 17, Netflix's eight-episode series "The East Palace" blends palace intrigue, supernatural horror and Korean folklore into a mystery set inside the Joseon court.
The story begins with a string of unexplained deaths among the royal heirs. Rumors spread that a ghost haunting the palace pond is wiping out the king's bloodline, but the king dismisses the stories as superstition. Only after his last surviving son falls gravely ill does he secretly summon Goo-cheon (played by Nam), a drifter capable of entering the spirit world to destroy ghosts, while assigning palace maid Saeng-gang (played by Roh Yoon-seo), who can hear spirits, to watch his every move.
While the premise centers on ghosts, much of Tuesday's production presentation focused on something else: making two versions of the same palace feel like entirely different worlds.
Rather than relying primarily on visual effects, director Choi Jung-kyu said the production physically built separate versions of many sets. The crew altered lighting, textures and even seasons, sometimes filming the same location twice, so viewers could instinctively distinguish the living world from the spirit realm.
The supernatural creatures also draw heavily from Korean folklore instead of being entirely original creations. Choi said the production simplified their visual designs without losing the traits found in traditional legends, making them immediately recognizable even to viewers unfamiliar with Korean mythology.
That approach extended beyond the creatures themselves. Palace architecture, costumes and props were rooted in historical references, while the pacing was designed with international audiences in mind.
"We focused more on rhythm than explanation," Choi said. "Even if the language and cultural background are different, we wanted viewers everywhere to simply enjoy the story."
"You constantly have to imagine what's in front of you," he said.
The physically demanding shoot also meant spending long hours in the water during both summer heat and winter cold, something co-star Jo Seung-woo jokingly described as being "500 times harder" than anything his own character endured.
Jo, making his first Netflix original series, plays a king who refuses to believe in ghosts until tragedy forces him to reconsider everything he knows. Rather than portraying him simply as a monarch, Jo said he approached the role as that of an isolated leader carrying the weight of protecting both his family and the throne.
"It's a lonely position," he said. "He keeps questioning everything while trying to protect what's left."
She said adapting to the physical discipline of acting took time, particularly maintaining the posture and restraint expected in a period drama while expressing emotion through subtle changes in voice and facial expression.
More important, she said, was the evolving relationship between Saeng-gang and Goo-cheon. The two begin as reluctant partners who distrust one another but gradually become indispensable as they unravel the palace's curse from opposite sides of the supernatural divide.
Looking back, Nam said the experience was both exciting and daunting. "I went there by myself," he said. "I felt a huge sense of responsibility and just wanted to do my best."
Whether Korean palace ghosts resonate with international audiences as strongly as Netflix hopes remains to be seen. But rather than explaining away Korean folklore, The East Palace leans into it — betting that a compelling mystery, memorable characters and confident storytelling will cross borders on their own.
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