Nam Joo-hyuk Explains Why He Chose Netflix Series 'The East Palace' After Military Discharge

Actor Nam Joo-hyuk, who completed his military service in 2024, has explained why he signed on for his latest project.

A press conference for the Netflix series "The East Palace" was held on the 8th at the Fairmont Ambassador Seoul in Yeouido, Seoul. Actors Nam Joo-hyuk, Roh Yoon-seo and Cho Seung-woo attended alongside director Choi Jung-kyu.

"The East Palace" follows Gu-cheon (played by Nam Joo-hyuk), a man who can move between the world of the living and the world of ghosts, and Saeng-gang (played by Roh Yoon-seo), a palace maid guarding a secret. The two are summoned by the king (played by Cho Seung-woo) to uncover a curse hanging over the Donggung, the crown prince's palace.

Nam Joo-hyuk plays Gu-cheon, a figure who crosses between the human and spirit worlds and cuts down ghosts. Roh Yoon-seo plays Saeng-gang, a palace maid who can hear the voices of ghosts. Cho Seung-woo plays the king, who secretly brings the two into the palace.

Talking about why he took the role, Nam Joo-hyuk said, "I got the script while I was in the military. There are a lot of moments in the military when your imagination really opens up. Reading the script in a place like that, I just felt this rush of wanting to do it."

He added, "I found it fun to follow the mysterious things unfolding inside the palace. Once I read it, I felt like if I was going to be part of this project, I wanted to throw my whole self into it. That's how I ended up doing it."

"The East Palace" premieres on the 17th.