SBS weekend drama 'Haunted Palace' Yook Sung-jae finally confessed his feelings to Kim Ji-yeon, 'a first love a thousand years in the making.'
In episode 8 of SBS weekend drama 'Haunted Palace' (written by Yoon Soo-jung / directed by Yoon Sung-sik) aired on the 10th (Saturday), Kang-cheol (played by Yook Sung-jae) and Yeori (played by Kim Ji-yeon) discovered that the black power in the palace was one of the blind dice players. Furthermore, the identity of the mastermind that had shaken the royal family was revealed to be Wang Lee-jeong's maternal grandfather, Kim Bong-in (played by Son Byung-ho), shocking the audience. As a result, 'Haunted Palace' achieved a peak viewership rating of 11.3%, with national ratings at 9.5% and metropolitan area ratings at 9.1%, securing an overwhelming first place for four consecutive weeks in the same time slot, as well as in Saturday mini-series. Additionally, it recorded a 2.9% rating among viewers aged 20 to 49, showcasing its popularity and rising trend in viewership.
Kang-cheol and Lee-jeong successfully subdued the fierce fiend Mak-dol (played by Kim Jun-won) after a life-and-death battle. Kang-cheol sustained serious injuries while fighting desperately to rescue Yeori, who, upon chasing after him, trapped Mak-dol in a scarecrow with a ritual, managing to save him just in time. At that moment, Yeori unknowingly embraced the revived Kang-cheol, creating a peculiar atmosphere, while I-mugi's younger brother, Bibi (played by Jo Han-gyeol), was displeased with Kang-cheol's gradual emotional transformation.
Yeori allowed Mak-dol to possess her so he could say his last goodbye to his daughter. During the short time, although Kang-cheol was puzzled by Mak-dol's behavior of just scolding his daughter, Yeori gradually understood her grandmother Neob-deok's feelings, who tried to ease the sorrow of the spirits. Furthermore, it heightened the tension as it was revealed that the identity of the one threatening the royal family was a blind dice player known as 'Agugi.'
Amid this, Kang-cheol finally confessed his feelings for Yeori, exploding the excitement level. While returning to the palace, he intentionally made it rain to create an opportunity to stay at an inn for the exhausted Yeori. Yeori felt a subtle emotion through Kang-cheol's gaze upon her, and Kang-cheol, in turn, confessed directly, saying, "Is it my heart that makes me dizzy when I see you, or is it just a trick due to being trapped in a human body? In truth, I don't know either. I have been wondering how you feel. When you smile now, are you smiling at me or at Yoon-gap?"
Yeori was confused about her fluttering feelings for Kang-cheol. During a conversation with Lee-jeong, she recalled that Kang-cheol had caused her grandmother Neob-deok's death, feeling guilty. Despite treating Kang-cheol coldly again, Yeori, alone with Neob-deok's relics, wept, saying, "I smiled at the person who killed my grandmother. I thought I was just confused, but I'm sorry, Grandma," moving the audience's hearts.
Meanwhile, movements to uncover the identity of the blind dice player inside the palace intensified. In front of Lee-jeong, who directly interrogated the dice players, Poongsan brought up the Pal-cheok-gwi of the former king's time, provoking Lee-jeong's trauma with blatant boldness. Court officials who received help from Poongsan, including Kwon Sang-chung (played by Yoon Seung) and Ahn Seok-joo (played by Go In-beom), opposed Lee-jeong's investigation, and worse, even the Prime Minister Kim Bong-in (played by Son Byung-ho), on whom Lee-jeong relied, persuaded him to release the dice players. Unable to achieve significant results, Lee-jeong had no choice but to release Poongsan while still harboring doubts about him, ordering a discreet investigation to heighten the intrigue.
In the closing moments, the truth surrounding Neob-deok's death was revealed, delivering a shock. Yeori learned from Ya-gwang-gwi (played by Park Da-on) that a ritual to expel the Pal-cheok-gwi was held in the palace a month before Neob-deok's death on the 4th of April in the year of the Water Rabbit. She immediately confronted Lee-jeong about the past incident involving the Pal-cheok-gwi in the palace, and Lee-jeong ultimately confessed that the former king had been possessed by the Pal-cheok-gwi. As all the pieces fit together, Yeori poured out tears of remorse, saying, "It was not Kang-cheol, but the Pal-cheok-gwi who killed my grandmother."
At that moment, the identity of the mastermind stirring the royal family was revealed to be 'Kim Bong-in,' shocking everyone. Kim Bong-in revealed his cold true nature and pressured Poongsan, who claimed that the one who disrupted all the plans was none other than Yeori. The terrifying roar of the Pal-cheok-gwi echoed in the shrine, completing a chilling ending. With the true identity of the mastermind Kim Bong-in that had shaken the royal family unveiled, curiosity and anticipation were simultaneously raised about how the breathtaking confrontation between Kang-cheol, Yeori, and King Lee-jeong would unfold, and what choice Yeori would make upon discovering Kang-cheol's true feelings.
SBS weekend drama 'Haunted Palace' airs every Friday and Saturday at 9:55 p.m., telling the story of a shaman named Yeori who rejects the fate of a spirit medium, and Kang-cheol, who is trapped in the body of Yeori's first love Yoon-gap, as they confront the Pal-cheok-gwi which harbors a grudge against the royal family, leading to a fantasy romantic comedy filled with complex entanglements between the body and soul.
[Photo] SBS
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