The South Korean series The East Palace was released on Netflix on July 17, 2026, with atotal of eight episodes.

The series was written by Kwon So-ra and Seo Jae-won and directed by Choi Jung-kyu.

The series is a mix of historical drama, mystery, horror, and fantasy. The main roles areplayed by Nam Joo-hyuk as Gu-Cheon, Roh Yoon-seo as Saeng-Gang, and Cho Seung-woo as King Ju-Sang.

The story revolves around the royal family, which has been cursed for generations. Every crown prince dies because of this mysterious curse. In order to uncover the truth behind it,the ghost hunter Gu-Cheon (Nam Joo-hyuk) and the court lady Saeng-Gang (Roh Yoon-seo), who has the ability to hear the voices of the dead, work together to solve the mystery.

Gu-Cheon is a brave, confident, and humorous ghost hunter who initially wants nothing to do with supernatural events. However, as the story progresses, he reaches a point where he has no choice but to confront the curse. In contrast, Saeng-Gang is a compassionate,intelligent, and courageous court lady.

Thanks to her ability to hear the voices of the dead, she plays a crucial role in uncovering the truth behind the mystery. King Ju-Sang is also convincing as a responsible, determined, and authoritative ruler. He does everything he can to protect both his family and his kingdom from the curse.

From the very beginning, the series creates a dark and mysterious atmosphere.

This builds suspense and makes viewers want to discover what is really behind the curse. At the same time, it encourages the audience to think about what might have happened in the past and why the royal family has been affected by the curse. The beautiful cinematography and the elaborate costumes especially help to bring the historical setting to life.

One topic I’d like to explore is the belief in ghost hunters and shamans that appears throughout the series. The fact that, at that time, shamans and ghost hunters were hired to drive away spirits, or that shamans were employed as spiritual healers. This has given me a new perspective on what people relied on in the past compared to what we rely on or believe in today.

Overall, I really enjoyed The East Palace. The dark atmosphere that is present from the very beginning immediately drew me into the story. The exciting plot and the combination of mystery and fantasy added the perfect finishing touch. The actors were excellent in their roles, and it was easy to understand why their characters acted the way they did. The only disappointing aspect might be that the series consists of only eight episodes.

I would highly recommend this series to anyone who enjoys historical dramas with supernatural elements and mystery.