Nam Joo-hyuk says The East Palace bond is 99% comradeship

Nam Joo-hyuk described his on-screen dynamic with Roh Yoon-seo in Netflix's The East Palace as comradeship rather than romance during an interview at a cafe in Jongno-gu, Seoul, on the 21st. Nam said, 'The idea of comradeship was very strong. I did not think of it as romance.'

Nam said the production still kept in mind moments that could make the relationship feel romantic. He said the intent was to let viewers imagine for themselves whether the bond was comradeship or romance.

Nam said he acted on set with the view that the relationship was '99%' comradeship, while also considering a bond that could make viewers ask, 'How could this not be romance?' He added that, even if the characters moved through comradeship, their character settings left something beyond it, and he thought viewers would create new interpretations.

Nam also said he felt an emotional exchange beyond comradeship while working with the world of ghosts, the ghostly beings and the characters. He said the finished world of ghosts appears on screen, but not everything can be perfect; even so, when he looked into the eyes of other ghost actors including Kwak Dong-yeon and staff members in chroma suits, their expressions felt the same, with everyone seeming to approach the work with the mindset, 'We have to pull this off.'

Released on the 17th, The East Palace follows Gu-cheon, played by Nam Joo-hyuk, who can move through the world of ghosts, and Saeng-gang, played by Roh Yoon-seo, a court lady who can hear ghosts, as they answer the king's summons and investigate the curse in the East Palace. Nam plays Gu-cheon, who gained the ability to see ghosts after losing his mother in childhood.

On set, I acted while thinking it was 99% comradeship.