SBS weekend drama 'Haunted Palace' stars Yook Sung-jae and Kim Ji-yeon, igniting the signal for an intense romance.
The drama kingdom SBS, showcasing the only fantasy historical drama in 2025, 'Haunted Palace' (scripted by Yoon Soo-jung and directed by Yoon Seong-sik), is receiving attention for its story where the shaman Yeori, who rejects the fate of a medium, faces the eight-footed ghost holding a grudge against the royal family, while the serpent God, trapped in the body of her first love Yoon-gap, becomes intertwined physically and spiritually. Achieving a record high viewership rating of 11.3% (according to Nielsen Korea) and breaking its own best score every episode, it also ranks first for four consecutive weeks in the same time slot, sweeping the overall ranking for mini-series broadcasts within a week. Additionally, in the integrated content ranking revealed by the OTT content search platform Kino Rights for the second week of May, 'Haunted Palace' took the top spot across all content categories, including dramas, films, and variety shows, continuing its winning streak. (As of May 13, 2025)
In the 8th episode, it was revealed that the ominous incidents shaking the palace were orchestrated by King Lee Jeong (played by Kim Ji-hoon)'s maternal grandfather and Prime Minister Kim Bong-in (played by Son Byeong-ho), delivering a shocking twist. Meanwhile, the character Kang-cheol (played by Yook Sung-jae) finally confessed his feelings for Yeori (played by Kim Ji-yeon), who is also depicted as being shaken by Kang-cheol. This raised curiosity. Alongside this, it was revealed that the death of Yeori's grandmother Neopdeok (played by Gil Hae-yeon) was due to the actions of the eight-footed ghost and not Kang-cheol, leading to a deep misunderstanding being resolved. Now, there is keen interest in whether Kang-cheol and Yeori can navigate their mutual romance.
In this context, the 'Haunted Palace' team released stills of a triangular relationship (?), featuring the exploding jealousy between Kang-cheol and Yeori, attracting attention. The released stills show Kang-cheol and Yeori displaying unusual chemistry following the unexpected visit of In-seon (played by Shin Seul-ki). Kang-cheol is seen enjoying the sweet snacks and treats brought by In-seon. His expression appears to be enchanted by the array of treats that offer a different thrill than his favorite sweet, pumpkin candy. However, there is a hint of Kang-cheol seemingly being cautious around Yeori even while savoring his beloved snacks, making his expression quite intriguing.
Yeori is closely watching In-seon, who has taken the seat next to Kang-cheol, with a gaze full of suspicion, which catches attention. Particularly, when In-seon smiles charmingly and tries to feed a snack to Kang-cheol, flames of jealousy ignite in Yeori's eyes. Although Yeori usually denies her feelings for Kang-cheol, her unconscious jealousy brings smiles to viewers. With this jealousy as a turning point, it remains to be seen whether Yeori can become aware of her own feelings, and attention is focused on the 'Haunted Palace' main broadcast.
[Photo] Provided by SBS
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