Speaking at the production presentation of Netflix original series The East Palace on July 8 at a hotel in Yeouido, Seoul, Nam Joo Hyuk said, “This is the first project I will release after being discharged from the military, so I felt a great sense of responsibility. I wanted to work hard and make sure I didn’t cause any problems for the production.”
East Palace follows Gucheon (Nam Joo Hyuk), a man capable of crossing the human and spirit worlds, and the court maid Saenggang (Roh Yoon Seo), who hides a secret. Summoned by the king (Cho Seung Woo), the two investigate a mysterious curse haunting the East Palace.
As crown princes are found dead one after another, rumors spread throughout the palace that the curse of the pond ghost that targets the royal line has returned. Gucheon, who must eliminate the ghost and break the curse to leave the palace alive, joins forces with Saenggang, who has been secretly assigned to guard him. Together, they gradually uncover the hidden secrets of the East Palace.
Choosing The East Palace as his first project after his military service, Nam Joo Hyuk plays Gucheon, a character who travels between the human world and the spirit realm while fighting ghosts. The role is expected to showcase not only his more mature acting, but also his broad action performance.
Shortly before starting his military service in June 2022, Nam Joo Hyuk became the subject of bullying allegations at school. The actor strongly denied the claims, calling them “completely false”, and the whistleblower was later fined 7 million won for defamation through false information. However, the label of school bullying continued to follow him, and as he entered military service before fully dealing with the controversy, many watched closely as he would come back through the East Palace.
Nam Joo Hyuk revealed, “I received the script while I was serving in the military. Military life gives you plenty of time to use your imagination. As I read it, I became even more interested in the mysterious events taking place inside the palace. I wanted to give everything I had if I had the chance to be a part of this project.”
He added, “I have been Gucheon since I was in the army.”
Regarding the action sequences, the actor said, “The only option was to work as hard as I could. I trained in an action school and practiced constantly. The fight scenes with the ’13 court ladies’ and the shaman are particularly memorable for me.”
Looking back at the unveiling of Netflix’s global lineup, Nam Joo Hyuk commented, “It was such an honor. I was disappointed that not everyone could be there together, but it motivated me to work even harder.”
He concluded: “I wanted Gucheon to really come to life within this story and become part of its world. I also hoped that the filming set would remain pleasant for both the cast and crew, even if the work was challenging. I did my best to contribute to that atmosphere. My senior actors have already set a wonderful example and I wanted to approach the project with the same mentality.”
Meanwhile, The East Palace is scheduled to premiere on July 17.
Sources: Nate
