Roh Yoon-seo goes underwater as The East Palace races to No. 2

Roh Yoon-seo plays the lead role of Saenggang in Netflix's original series 'The East Palace'. She is the central figure in the work, which rose to No. 2 in the non-English series TOP10 within three days of release, showcasing a new acting style through underwater scenes and ear movement acting.

Underwater Shooting and 'Half Possession' Acting

Roh Yoon-seo revealed that the underwater shooting scenes were her first experience with such filming, and she practiced twice. While she does not dislike water, she admitted that going deep into it was frightening. She filmed without a breathing apparatus at a depth of about 2 meters. She said, "I was scared when I became a free body, but it was also fascinating, and the cinematographer shot it well, so it looked cool." She also mentioned that the concept of "half possession" acting was new to her, and she initially wondered, "What is half possession acting?" when she first heard the term. For a scene where she, possessed by the ghost of the Crown Prince, speaks desperately about her mother, she devised a method of acting that was expressionless yet filled with tears. She also revealed that she was aware of the fact that her ear muscles move when she concentrates, a detail she had known since her role in 'Cheongseol'. She demonstrated her ability to move both ears and asked, "Shall I show you?" drawing admiration from everyone. Roh Yoon-seo said the most frightening scene during filming was when she acted with Kwak Dong-yeon, who played the ghost of the Crown Prince. She said, "There was a burden in this take that I had to end it. In reality, the Green Man made it cute, so I had to hold back laughter."

Hybrid of Occult and Politics

'The East Palace' is a hybrid genre combining historical drama set in the Joseon era with occult elements. Director Choi Jeong-gyu served as the main producer. Gucheon (Nam Joo Hyuk) is a character with the ability to cross between the world of ghosts, while Saenggang (Roh Yoon-seo) is a palace maid assigned to monitor him. The two characters had no common ground initially but gradually opened their hearts while working together to capture ghosts, ultimately completing a "rescue narrative" where they save each other. Cho Seung-woo plays the king, who is Saenggang's father and Gucheon's king, serving as the central figure driving their emotional arc.

Sincere Feelings About Season 2

'The East Palace' was released on October 17, 2023. The Netflix Korea YouTube channel released a VFX making-of video, which includes a "Netflix (Netflix) introduction." Roh Yoon-seo expressed sincere feelings, saying that if a Season 2 were to come out, it would truly be an honor.