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| ▲ This photo provided by SBS shows South Korean director Yoon Sung-sik of the recently concluded SBS Friday-Saturday drama "The Haunted Palace." (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap) |
SEOUL, June 18 (Yonhap) -- “In every aspect, I prioritized naturalness as the most important value in directing. I wanted the fantastical elements—like the Imoogi and the ghosts—to feel everyday, human, and realistic.”
Director Yoon Sung-sik of the recently concluded SBS Friday-Saturday drama "The Haunted Palace" emphasized “naturalness” multiple times as a key directorial point during a written interview on Wednesday.
Scenes where a drowned water ghost with long hair emerges from a well, or a one-legged ghost hops on a single foot, were all performed by actors rather than created with computer graphics (CG).
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| ▲ This still of SBS' Friday-Saturday drama "The Haunted Palace" is provided by SBS. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap) |
Because of this, some critics commented that the drama felt like "Legends of the Old Country" (a classic Korean ghost story series), but others praised it for its sense of vitality.
Yoon said, “I was wary of excessive CG and pursued a fantasy that blended naturally, almost imperceptibly, with live-action footage,” adding, “While most of the ghosts were portrayed through live-action, detailed and invisible CG was heavily used in their action scenes.”
"The Haunted Palace" stood out as a rare example of a Korean-style occult drama on a terrestrial channel.
Yoon noted, “This drama was a hybrid of occult, romance, human drama, and comedy,” and added, “I think the proper blend of these genres made it feel both refreshing and comforting to a wide audience.”
He also mentioned, “To break the stereotype around the exorcism fantasy genre, we made sure the ghosts and spirits appeared with tension, but adjusted the intensity so they wouldn’t come off as overly frightening.”
The idea for the drama originated from writer Yoon Soo-jung, who drew inspiration from reading the old Korean ghost story collection "Eou Yadam."
Yoon encountered the tale of the “Palcheok Ghost” (Eight-Foot Ghost) from within the royal palace during the Joseon Dynasty and began weaving the stories of vengeful spirits confined within the palace.
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| ▲ This still of SBS' Friday-Saturday drama "The Haunted Palace" is provided by SBS. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap) |
She explained, “The Palcheok Ghost represents all the tragic deaths that deserve an apology from the state,” adding, “King Lee Jeong (played by Kim Ji-hoon) was the perpetrator bearing the karmic guilt that gave birth to the ghost; Imoogi Kang Cheol-i (played by Yook Sung-jae) was the savior; and Yeori (played by Kim Ji-yeon) was both the medium and the narrator.”
Although the drama promoted itself as a K-occult series, some viewers expressed disappointment at the limited number of ghost types featured.
Yoon said, “The original plan included an episodic structure and more ghost types, but due to production constraints, the episodic format proved difficult. Although the genre-specific thrill may have been reduced, it allowed us to focus more on the enjoyment of character relationships and emotional depth.”
She recalled working hard to give narrative justification to the story of Kang Cheol-i, a character who initially hated humans but ultimately sacrificed himself to save them. “Convincing the audience about Kang Cheol-i’s choice was the biggest challenge,” she reflected.
As for a possible Season 2, she said, “Nothing has been decided or is in progress yet,” but left the door open, saying, “It does feel like there’s more story left for Kang Cheol-i.”
Director Yoon also commented, “The uniquely Korean ghostly figures like Kang Cheol-i, the Palcheok Ghost, and the Water Ghost, which we introduced in 'The Haunted Palace,' have enough value to form a K-occult brand,” and suggested that Season 2 could be possible if conditions allow.
The 16-episode series wrapped up with its final episode on the 7th, recording a nationwide viewership rating of 11.0 percent, ranking first in its time slot.
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