Netflix has released the main trailer and posters for The East Palace, its new Korean period mystery set between the royal palace and a shadowy spirit realm known as the Realm of Gwi.
Starring Nam Joo-hyuk, Roh Yoon-seo and Cho Seung-woo, The East Palace follows a spirit-catcher, a court lady and a king bound together by a bloodstained curse that has haunted the palace for 30 years. The eight-episode series, releasing all at once, premieres July 17, only on Netflix.
At the center of the story is Gu-cheon (Nam Joo-hyuk), a man who can move between the real world and the Realm of Gwi. Summoned to the palace by the king (Cho Seung-woo), he is paired with Saeng-gang (Roh Yoon-seo), a court lady who can hear the voices of spirits, to uncover the source of a deadly curse that has taken root in the East Palace. As the two travel between life and death under the king’s secret orders, they begin to peel back the layers of a haunting that reaches deep into the royal family’s past.
The series brings together director Choi Jung-kyu (The Devil Judge, Children of Nobody) with writers Kwon So-ra and Seo Jea-won (Bulgasal: Immortal Souls, The Guest), promising a large-scale supernatural world and an intricate palace mystery. The project marks Nam Joo-hyuk’s first acting role following his military discharge in September 2025 and Roh Yoon-seo’s first venture into the dark fantasy genre. For Cho Seung-woo, it is his first appearance in a series produced specifically for a global streaming platform. Nam is known for Twenty-Five Twenty-One and Start-Up, Roh for Crash Course in Romance and 20th Century Girl, and Cho for Stranger and Sisyphus.
The main trailer pulls viewers into the world of The East Palace with a chilling mood. The palace looks beautiful, but silence hangs heavy over its grounds. A spirit’s voice shrieks into the king’s ear, vowing to erase all trace of the royal bloodline. Realizing that what happened 30 years ago is starting all over again, the king summons Gu-cheon to the palace and places Saeng-gang at his side to watch him closely.
From there, the pair begin working in secret, slipping back and forth between the real world and the Realm of Gwi. Each deadly clash with the spirits reveals more of the grudges and secrets hidden beneath the royal family, and as those truths surface, the palace descends into uncontrollable chaos.
The main poster shows Gu-cheon and Saeng-gang acting as a single team under the king’s command. Standing in the middle of the pond cast in the crimson aura of the Realm of Gwi, Gu-cheon is bound by a coarse rope, which Saeng-gang pulls with all her might. The poster hints at how they will work together to expose the palace’s secrets and face the spirits that lurk just beyond the border. Separate character posters have also been released, spotlighting each figure’s distinct identity, with Gu-cheon holding a mysterious sword engraved with red markings, Saeng-gang shown with blood on her forehead, and the king embodying the commanding presence of a ruler hunting the ghosts lurking in the abyss.
Fans are also looking forward to the dynamic and chemistry among Nam Joo-hyuk, Roh Yoon-seo and Cho Seung-woo, who have immersed themselves in their roles.
Director Choi Jung-kyu shared that from the first time he saw Nam Joo-hyuk, he was convinced Nam was the one who would choose to step into the Realm of Gwi and face his destiny, calling The East Palace a story Nam had to lead and praising his passion and sense of responsibility toward acting.
On Roh Yoon-seo, he noted that her previous work always showed she could find her way through, and that her natural charm and strengths aligned perfectly with the role of Saeng-gang. Working with her, he came to see her as a truly bold actress, moved by how she carved a path forward with a raw, straightforward and authentic performance.
Speaking about reuniting with Cho Seung-woo, Choi added that he had long dreamed of collaborating with him again after working together years earlier, and that The East Palace fulfilled that dream. He praised how Cho examines every tiny detail in building his character, so that once the camera rolls, that preparation transforms into immensely powerful acting, calling the transformation a source of enormous catharsis for him to witness.
See this supernatural palace thriller unfold in The East Palace, premiering July 17, only on Netflix.
