Breaking its own viewership records each week and establishing itself as a blockbuster hit for weekend home entertainment, SBS's Friday-Saturday drama 'The Haunted Palace' (written by Yoon Soo-jung, directed by Yoon Sung-sik) is a fantasy romantic comedy that twists fate and souls. It tells the story of Yeori, a shaman who refuses her destiny as a medium, and Gangcheol, a serpent spirit trapped in the body of Yeori's first love, Yoon-gap, as they confront a vengeful eight-foot-tall ghost threatening the royal family. The fresh romance between the serpent spirit and the shaman, coupled with the rapid plot development and the mystery of the royal court along with a feast of Korean mythical creatures, has been generating hot buzz.
The show's global popularity is also heating up. In its first week of airing, 'The Haunted Palace' topped the TV series category in Netflix South Korea, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand, laying the foundation for a global sensation. It has since added number one titles on various global OTT platforms. It ranked first in the Asian genre on Japan's OTT platform Lemino (NTT Docomo), topped the drama category on Taiwan's OTT Hami Video, and achieved the highest rank on Vietnam's 'VieON'. Additionally, 'The Haunted Palace' claimed the top spot in viewer numbers during its first week on the global OTT platform Rakuten Viki, in 89 countries including the US, UK, France, and Australia, proving its immense global popularity beyond Asia to the Americas and Europe.
Amidst this, the production team of 'The Haunted Palace' has released stills from the upcoming fifth episode, heightening anticipation with the palpable tension between Gangcheol (played by Yook Sung-jae) and Yeori (played by Kim Ji-yeon).
In the stills, Gangcheol and Yeori are seen sharing a tense moment in the cramped space of a palanquin, barely a breath apart. Yeori is seen covering Gangcheol's mouth, while his gaze at her ignites a pink-hued tension. Furthermore, Gangcheol, as if enchanted, cautiously reaches towards Yeori's red lips. The atmosphere inside the palanquin, filled with what seems to be the sound of their beating hearts, is enough to make the viewer's heart race. The reason behind their shared ride in the palanquin and how their relationship will evolve raises curiosity.
'The Haunted Palace' will air its fifth episode on the 2nd (Friday) at 9:55 PM.
(SBS Entertainment News | Kang Sun-ae)