SBS's Friday-Saturday drama 'Haunted Palace' stars Yook Seong-jae as 'Imugi,' who has finally realized his love for Kim Ji-yeon.
In the 6th episode of 'Haunted Palace,' which aired on Nov. 3, Yook Seong-jae as Kang-cheol, Kim Ji-yeon as Yeori, and Kim Ji-hoon as Wang Lee-jeong joined forces to capture Palcheokgwi, but they failed to completely eliminate it. Additionally, Poongsan, played by Kim Sang-ho, lost his power due to an internal injury from Palcheokgwi and aimed to cause a stir in the palace again by targeting the unborn child of the queen, who is currently expecting. Consequently, 'Haunted Palace' achieved a peak viewership rating of 10.3%, nationwide 8.8%, and 8.3% in the capital region, securing the number one spot in its time slot for three consecutive weeks. It also firmly maintained its lead in the Saturday mini-series sector, continuing to soar in viewership even during the holiday period.
Kang-cheol, Yeori, and Lee-jeong faced an imminent crisis due to a retaliatory strike from Palcheokgwi, but using the Warrior's Sword and Gyeonggwisok (a stone that chases away ghosts), they barely succeeded in driving Palcheokgwi away. However, they remained vigilant, realizing the tremendous power of Palcheokgwi, which posed a threat to Kang-cheol's life. Yeori began to feel a growing curiosity about the events that had occurred in the palace long ago when she discovered that her maternal grandmother, the shaman Neobdeok, played a role in gifting Gyeonggwisok to Lee-jeong in the past.
At the same time, a new scheme by Poongsan, played by Kim Sang-ho, to target the royal bloodline was revealed, causing shock. After hearing the news of the queen's pregnancy from the Dowager Queen, played by Han Soo-yeon, Poongsan devised a horrific plan to sacrifice the unborn child as an offering to restore Palcheokgwi's strength. Furthermore, when Poongsan encountered Yeori in the palace, he realized she was a shaman confronting Palcheokgwi, leaving viewers chilled.
Meanwhile, another Imugi named 'Bibi,' played by Jo Han-gyeol, emerged in the city. Bibi, the younger brother of Kang-cheol, aimed to absorb the souls of greedy nobles and ascend. Although momentarily surprised to find his older brother disguised as a human, Bibi lured Kang-cheol by saying that if he killed Yoon-gap, played by Yook Seong-jae, he could escape his body. However, unable to betray Yeori, Kang-cheol deflected Bibi's advances, saying he was merely complying with Yeori's wishes.
With that, Kang-cheol began to harbor feelings for Yeori, which drew viewers' hearts. He was anxious that Yeori might be disappointed in him for not being able to eliminate Palcheokgwi, but Yeori expressed, “My hatred and resentment toward you haven’t completely vanished. But know this: for all these years, you have protected me in some way,” conveying her sincerity. Kang-cheol could not hide his emerging smile as he started to feel human emotions.
Despite this, Imugi Kang-cheol could not recognize that his fluttering emotions toward Yeori were human affection. He confided to Bibi, “When I want to devour a noble, my eyes keep going there, my heart races as I approach, and I feel like touching it. Did you go through that too?” evoking laughter. Subsequently, following Bibi’s advice, Kang-cheol approached another human named In-seon, played by Shin Seul-ki, but felt no excitement. Ultimately, he realized that his feelings toward Yeori were indeed affection. Then, Kang-cheol expressed, “Now I understand. I don’t want to eat this child like Bibi does. So there’s nothing I can do. I can’t defeat Palcheokgwi as per our pact, and I can’t abandon this body and leave your side. I can only lie and stretch out the time I can spend with you,” his heartfelt emotions exploding in a surge of excitement.
However, soon after, a new vengeful spirit appeared, plunging the palace into chaos once again and raising the tension to its peak. Yeori saw the queen having nightmares and, while asking about the circumstances, discovered an unidentified skeleton hidden in the queen's pillow. Additionally, it was revealed through a talisman hidden within the skeleton that the same person who summoned Palcheokgwi was targeting the unborn child, shocking Lee-jeong profoundly. Yeori then used Myeongdu, a mirror that reflects spirits, to summon the owner of the skeleton, the spirit Maekdol, played by Kim Joon-won, but Maekdol launched an attack on Kang-cheol and Yeori before fleeing through the waterway.
Toward the end of the episode, Kang-cheol and Yeori went to search for the river where Maekdol had disappeared and performed a summoning ritual, creating a tense atmosphere. Kang-cheol considered Maekdol to be merely a minor spirit, but to his surprise, Maekdol unleashed a powerful attack on both individuals. At that moment, taking advantage of Kang-cheol's moment of distraction, Maekdol overpowered Yeori, and the shocking scene of Yeori covered in the black filth expelled by Maekdol and Kang-cheol's devastated expression as he looked at Yeori concluded the episode, leaving viewers in shock.
With such a whirlwind of developments, 'Haunted Palace' captivated viewers, and immediately after the broadcast of episode six, various online communities and social media were filled with comments like, “The ghost story is fun, the royal family story is fun, the love story is fun. Why is 'Haunted Palace' so entertaining?” “Today’s story was substantial. How can I wait until next week?” “Each episode features a variety of interesting ghosts, MAX interest,” “It’s so funny how the Imugi is so impudent toward the king. They generate office worker memes,” “The love of the Imugi is so intense,” “The witty dialogues are so comedic,” “I’ve never seen a ghost hunt like this. It’s fun,” “This is my favorite drama these days.”
'Haunted Palace,' which airs every Friday and Saturday at 9:55 p.m., is a body struggle fantasy rom-com featuring Yeori, who rejects the fate of a shaman, and Imugi Kang-cheol, who is trapped in the body of Yeori’s first love Yoon-gap, facing Palcheokgwi, who bears a grudge against the royal family.
[Photo] SBS 'Haunted Palace'
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