On the afternoon of the 17th, a press conference for the new Friday-Saturday drama 'The Haunted Palace' (written by Yoon Soo-jung, directed by Yoon Sung-sik) was held at the SBS headquarters in Mok-dong, Seoul. Director Yoon Sung-sik, along with actors Yook Sung-jae, Kim Ji-yeon, and Kim Ji-hoon, attended the event, expressing their hopes for the new drama.
'The Haunted Palace' is a fantasy romantic comedy drama about Yeori, a shaman who rejects her fate, and Kang Chul, a dragon spirit trapped in the body of Yeori's first love, Yoon Gap. They encounter a vengeful spirit, leading to a tangled mess of bodies and souls. Yook Sung-jae takes on the challenge of playing dual roles as Yoon Gap, a scribe possessed by the evil spirit Kang Chul, while Kim Ji-yeon plays Yeori, the only granddaughter of a famous shaman, who refuses her shamanic destiny and lives as a skilled eyeglass artisan.
Yook Sung-jae and Kim Ji-yeon, who play the lead roles, have been friends for 16 years since their trainee days. Yook Sung-jae candidly admitted, "Since it's a romance genre, I was initially worried about filming it with a friend I've known for 16 years."
However, Yook Sung-jae found more advantages in acting with his friend Kim Ji-yeon. He explained, "The best part was not having to walk on eggshells on set. We could directly point out each other's shortcomings and make improvements. Saying things like 'This isn't working' or 'That was great' helped us build synergy. You can look forward to our chemistry in both the romance and the exorcism scenes."
Kim Ji-yeon also appreciated the honest communication between them, saying, "When we asked the director, he would say 'It's fine,' but we were able to be honest with each other, which was great." She added, "The relationship between Kang Chul and Yeori is like friends bickering, which made it fit even better. Our real-life friendship helped enhance the characters' dynamics."
Despite being long-time friends, they were surprised by each other's acting on set. Yook Sung-jae shared, "Ji-yeon used to complain a lot about being tired when she saw me. But during the drama, I think I was the one complaining more. Ji-yeon was so professional and focused on her character, which was impressive. I thought, 'Wow, my friend is really something.'"
Kim Ji-yeon added, "We've never seen each other at work or really looked into each other's careers. But on set, since it was my first fantasy project, I found some parts challenging. Sung-jae, being experienced in fantasy roles, seemed so professional. I thought, 'I need to learn a lot from him,' and tried to absorb as much as I could."
Meanwhile, 'The Haunted Palace' is set to premiere on Friday, the 18th, at 9:50 PM, following 'Buried Hearts.'
(SBS Entertainment News | Kang Sun-ae)
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