SBS Friday-Saturday drama 'The Haunted Palace' Yook Sung-jae, Kim Ji-yeon, and Kim Ji-hoon faced a shocking tragedy due to the appearance of the Palchukgui during the Cheondojae ceremony.
In the 14th episode of the SBS Friday-Saturday drama 'The Haunted Palace' (written by Yoon Soo-jung/directed by Yoon Sung-sik) aired on the 31st (Saturday), Yoon Gap (played by Yook Sung-jae), who had regained his corporeal form, crossed the Samdo River by his own will, while the scene of the Queen (played by Han So-eun) being attacked shockingly with the fetus in her womb at the Cheondojae ceremony of the Palchukgui (played by Seo Do-young) captivated the viewers' attention without pause.
'The Haunted Palace' recorded a peak rating of 11.1%, with 9.5% nationwide and 9.1% in the metropolitan area, achieving the highest ratings in the same time slot as well as ranking first in the mini-series category broadcast on Saturdays. Moreover, it also claimed the top spot in the 2049 ratings, showcasing its unparalleled dominance as the unbeatable number one even amidst the competition from new dramas. (based on Nielsen Korea)
Yeori (played by Kim Ji-yeon) could not fully rejoice at Yoon Gap's long-awaited return because, upon Yoon Gap's soul returning to his body, Gangcheol (played by Yook Sung-jae) had vanished without a trace. Yoon Gap expressed his affection towards Yeori, saying, "I came here to tell you what I couldn't say before. I put you in danger as the Palchukgui," but he felt that Yeori's heart was already towards Gangcheol. Lee Jung (played by Kim Ji-hoon), who was also glad to see his beloved loyal minister Yoon Gap return, felt a sense of emptiness as he recalled the absent Gangcheol.
At this moment, the horrific true intentions of Poongsan (played by Kim Sang-ho), who released Yoon Gap's soul, were revealed, sending chills down the viewers' spines. He instructed Yoon Gap to pour alcohol onto Lee Jung's Gyeonguis석 to render it powerless, promising to fully restore Yoon Gap's corporeal form in return. Yoon Gap flatly refused but could not hide his wavering heart upon seeing his mother Yeong-geum (played by Cha Cheong-hwa) happy with his return.
At the same time, Yeori revealed her longing for the vanished Gangcheol. Remembering Gangcheol placing a ring on her finger, she earnestly prayed, and at that moment, Gangcheol, who had been residing within Yoon Gap's body, miraculously opened his eyes, astonishing everyone. For a brief moment, the struggle for control between Gangcheol and Yoon Gap caused laughter, but soon Poongsan, realizing that Gangcheol had awakened, intensified the crisis by using the Palchukgui's powers to suppress Gangcheol's energy and inflict pain.
The next day, Yoon Gap, thinking that his corporeal form could be taken away by Gangcheol at any moment, decided to follow Poongsan's orders. Yoon Gap headed to meet Lee Jung, and Yeori, realizing late that the Palchukgui's henchmen were targeting the Gyeonguis석, hurriedly followed. Just as Yoon Gap was about to pour alcohol onto the Gyeonguis석, he felt his soul and body separating, stopping one hand from pouring the alcohol as he resisted the evil acts.
Yoon Gap dropped the bottle, fell to the floor, and the moment the remnants of the Palchukgui that had been lodged in his ear exited, his soul re-emerged from his body. Finally realizing his actions driven by the evil spirit, Yoon Gap expressed guilt for a moment and earnestly requested Yeori to help guide him to the afterlife.
Yoon Gap's last farewell, choosing the path to cross the Samdo River himself, stirred the viewers’ tear ducts and left a deep resonance. With the help of Yeori and Monk Gaseob (played by Lee Won-jong), the purified Yoon Gap comforted Yeori, saying, "My death is not your fault. It's sad, but I have no regrets in my life," and offered his final farewell to Yeong-geum, saying, "Thank you for giving birth to me. I was very happy to live as your son."
Lee Jung also burned the memorial paper for Yoon Gap, tearfully sending off his loyal minister in a poignant moment. Meanwhile, Poongsan secretly coaxed Jeong Sa-soon (played by Park Joo-hyung) to devise a new scheme, amplifying anxiety.
On the day of the long-awaited Cheondojae for the Palchukgui, Gangcheol opened up to Yeori. Unable to stay any longer with Yeong-geum, who had lost her child, Gangcheol and Yeori left home to spend the night in a humble tavern room, where Gangcheol pulled Yeori closer, who treated him like a naïve child, and said, "If I say to run away with me and leave everything behind, will you do that? How about we put off all this ascension talk and just become ordinary humans and live a happy life together for a hundred years?" As he revealed his hidden intentions, he made the viewers' hearts race. But he soon swallowed his words, saying, "How could I escape without dealing with that Palchukgui? It was just talk."
The day of the decisive battle arrived, and Lee Jung, worried about the safety of the Queen and her fetus, offered his Gyeonguis석 and prepared for any eventuality. Additionally, Gangcheol brewed and drank the petals of the golden dewdrop flower to prepare for the night. However, with the beginning of the Cheondojae, an unexpected incident unfolded, shocking viewers. Flames erupted from Yeori's talisman, and Jeong Sa-soon became possessed by the Palchukgui and started swinging his sword.
At that moment, contrary to the expectation that Lee Jung, without the Gyeonguis석, would be the target of the Palchukgui, the Palchukgui lunged at the Queen and instantly slashed her belly along with the fetus, creating chaos at the Cheondojae site and engulfing Gangcheol, Yeori, and Lee Jung in panic, leading to a shocking conclusion of the episode. Speculation is rife on how the final bloodbath with the Palchukgui spiraling into disaster will unfold, as only two episodes remain of the highly captivating 'The Haunted Palace.'
SBS Friday-Saturday drama 'The Haunted Palace' airs every Friday and Saturday at 9:50 p.m. It tells the story of Yeori, a shaman who refuses her fate, and her first love Yoon Gap, while the Imugi Gangcheol, trapped in Yoon Gap's body, confronts the Palchukgui, filled with resentment towards the royal family, leading to a tangled battle for body and soul in this fantasy romance.
[Photo] SBS
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