The East Palace – Review | Netflix Series

THE EAST PALACE on Netflix is a South Korean Horror Period Fantasy series with eight episodes in season 1. This genre-mix has several kinds of evil spirit monsters, and should work for fans of similar period fantasy productions from South Korea. Read our The East Palace series review here!

THE EAST PALACE is a Netflix series from South Korea. This one is a horror fantasy in a period-piece setting.  In that sense, it’s not unlike the successful series Kingdom, which I really liked. However, this 2026 Netflix series is focused on evil spirits that manifest as all kinds of creative monsters.

Personally, I’m more of a zombie girl, so this wasn’t really my jam. Having said that, I have to acknowledge the impressive quality of the production. Especially the sound design. Watching this with a fairly good home sound system was a gorgeous audio experience. The series has eight 45-minute episodes.

Continue reading our The East Palace series review below. Find it on Netflix now.

A Ghost-Slaying Swordsman

For some people, the idea of a “ghost-slaying swordsman” will sound like a brilliant premise. For others, not so much. If this does sound like your thing, then The East Palace will probably make for great entertainment.

The South Korean Netflix series The East Palace is the story of Gu-cheon. He’s a man who can travel back and forth between our world and the world of ghosts and spirits of all kinds. Don’t worry, there is an explanation for this, which comes early in episode 1.

Along with a court lady with a big secret, Saeng-gang, he is summoned by the King himself. There’s a real problem at the palace, as all the sons of the King are dying one by one. They are the Crown Princes, so he needs at least one to keep the royal lineage going.

Unfortunately, for the King, the palace seems to be cursed, and now Gu-cheon and Saeng-gang are tasked with getting rid of this curse. Of course, this is easier said than done, which is why the first season has 8 episodes.

Gorgeous production all around

With The East Palace, you’ll be getting a truly gorgeous production. It looks amazing, sounds spectacular, and the storyline is complex and engaging. If this fantasy horror period-piece is your thing, obviously.

In the cast, we have Nam Joo-hyuk (Twenty Five Twenty One, Start-Up) as Gu-cheon, the young man who can see and fight ghosts. Battling with him and keeping him on track is Roh Yoon-seo (Crash Course in Romance, 20th Century Girl) as Saeng-gang.

Without giving away too much, I can reveal that she also has certain abilities that are out of this world. Together, they are the best chance of helping the King, played by Cho Seung-woo (Divorce Attorney Shin, Sisyphus). And yes, he also has a few secrets and ulterior motives himself.

Watch season 1 of The East Palace on Netflix now

The East Palace (org. title: Donggung) comes from writers Kwon So-ra and Seo Jea-won. They’ve already had success with somewhat similar premises in the series Bulgasal: Immortal Souls and The Guest. As director of the eight episodes of the series, we have Choi Jung-kyu (The Devil Judge, Children of Nobody).

As much as I cannot help but compare The East Palace to Kingdom due to its Korean origin, this latest Netflix series is probably more like The Witcher. With all the fantasy creatures and elements of a magical nature, I think this would be ideal for any fan of both the worlds of Kingdom and The Witcher.

If that’s you, then you’re probably in for a real treat. For me, not so much. I can easily acknowledge how well it’s made, but it doesn’t get under my skin. Not that other fantasy shows haven’t managed this, but The East Palace just didn’t do as much for me.

The East Palace (org. title: Donggung) premieres on Netflix on July 17, 2026.

Details

Director: Choi Jung-kyu
Writers: Kwon So-ra & Seo Jea-won
Cast: Nam Joo-hyuk, Roh Yoon-seo, Cho Seung-woo