Yoon Soo-jung, the writer of SBS's 'The Haunted Palace,' expressed her utmost satisfaction with the performances of Yook Sung-jae, Kim Ji-yeon, and Kim Ji-hoon.
Set to premiere on Friday, the 18th, SBS's new Friday-Saturday drama 'The Haunted Palace' (written by Yoon Soo-jung, directed by Yoon Sung-sik) is a fantasy romantic comedy about a shaman named Yeori who rejects her fate as a medium. She becomes entangled with a dragon spirit, Kang Cheol, trapped in the body of her first love, Yoon Gap, as they confront a vengeful spirit haunting the royal family. Directed by Yoon Sung-sik, known for 'Mr. Queen,' 'You Are the Best!' 'Bridal Mask,' and 'Dae Jo-yeong,' and written by Yoon Soo-jung, who penned 'The King's Face' and 'Cheer Up!' the drama promises a fresh and dynamic cast, including Yook Sung-jae (as Yoon Gap/Kang Cheol), Kim Ji-yeon (as Yeori), and Kim Ji-hoon (as Lee Jeong), drawing significant attention.
Yoon, who aims to introduce a sweet yet chilling K-fantasy world through 'The Haunted Palace,' shared, "The initial idea came while co-writing 'The King's Face.' I thought, 'There must be many spirits with unresolved grudges in the palace.' This single line of thought, which I held onto for a long time, became the starting point for 'The Haunted Palace' about five years ago." She added, "The concept of a 'romance between a dragon spirit and a shaman involving a battle for the body' emerged as I pondered how to make a historical drama with occult elements appealing to a broad audience."
'The Haunted Palace' is a rich blend of genres, from romantic comedy to palace intrigue and exorcism fantasy. Yoon explained, "I focused heavily on balancing the different genres. Especially since romantic comedy and occult are like oil and water, my main goal during the planning stage was to seamlessly integrate these two seemingly incompatible genres."
Yoon also discussed her research on the supernatural entities featured in the drama, such as the dragon spirit Kang Cheol, the one-legged ghost, and the water ghost. "I love weaving stories from the hidden tales within the materials I study. I've drawn inspiration from countless books and films, but primarily from classics like 'Eou Yadam,' 'Seongho Saseol,' and 'Cheonyeokrok.' The mention of a ghost as tall as eight feet in 'Eou Yadam' inspired me to develop a detailed story," she said. Additionally, she mentioned documentaries like 'The Shaman and the Reconciliation of the Living and the Dead,' 'In Between,' 'Manshin,' and the autobiography of shaman Kim Geum-hwa, which helped her understand shamanism and shape Yeori's character. She also gained insights from books like Lauren Kendall's 'Shamans, Women, and Spirits' and traditional culture school courses, heightening anticipation for the visual spectacle of K-spirits in 'The Haunted Palace.'
Yoon noted, "Yoon Gap (Kang Cheol) and Yeori are incredibly challenging characters to portray. Yoon Gap (Kang Cheol) requires a dual role, showcasing comedy, action, and deep emotional acting, while Yeori needs to balance heroic charisma against evil spirits with the charm of a romantic comedy. Watching the edited footage, I was thrilled to see how perfectly Yook Sung-jae and Kim Ji-yeon embodied their roles."
She added, "Yook Sung-jae's spontaneous ad-libs and comedic timing had me in stitches. Beyond comedy, his chilling portrayal of the evil spirit's gaze was impressive. His range as an actor is vast, and I look forward to his future work. Kim Ji-yeon has such expressive eyes. She conveys deep stories and emotions through her gaze, which I found captivating. In person, she's quite delicate, but on screen, she exudes a commanding presence that surprised me." She continued, "The director once mentioned how great the chemistry between the two actors is, and I completely agree. The scenes they create together are truly delightful."
Regarding Kim Ji-hoon, Yoon expressed her trust, saying, "Upon hearing of his casting, I increased the king's role in the story. I wrote without any concerns about his acting abilities." She added, "On the last day of filming, I visited the set, and Kim Ji-hoon, though exhausted and hoarse, said he gave it his all. There are quite a few intense scenes for King Lee Jeong in the latter part of the drama, and I'm eager to see how they turned out."
Yoon also praised director Yoon Sung-sik, saying, "Given the high-level action scenes and the mix of genres, I heard everyone worked incredibly hard on set. The extreme weather conditions, from heatwaves to cold snaps, were concerning. Yet, director Yoon Sung-sik always found the script entertaining and supported the direction of the story I wanted to tell. Through our meetings, I was able to enhance the script, and I relied on him a lot."
She concluded, "'The Haunted Palace' has been a long time in the making, and everyone involved, from the initial planning to the final script, was not only highly skilled but also genuinely dedicated and kind. It felt like we had some divine help, given the nature of the project. I'm deeply grateful for the opportunity to work with such wonderful people and for the strong teamwork we developed."
Finally, Yoon shared her excitement for the premiere, saying, "'The Haunted Palace' is my first broadcast project in a long time and one I've prepared for extensively, so I'm both excited and nervous. While I'm never fully satisfied with my scripts, I wrote with no regrets. I hope viewers will enjoy the work that the team and I have poured our hearts into."
'The Haunted Palace' will premiere on Friday, the 18th, at 9:50 PM, following 'Buried Hearts.'
(SBS Entertainment News | Kang Sun-ae)