The drama 'The Haunted Palace' writer Yoon Soo-jung expressed gratitude for its hot popularity.
On the 18th, Yoon Soo-jung, who was in charge of writing the SBS Friday-Saturday drama 'The Haunted Palace,' had a time to address viewers' curiosity about the drama's hot success and Season 2 through a written interview with OSEN.
'The Haunted Palace' is a fantasy romantic comedy where the shaman Yeori, who refuses the fate of a medium, and the Imugi Gangcheol, trapped in the body of Yeori's first love, Yoon-gab, confront the eight-legged monster filled with resentment towards the royal family. The cast includes actors Yook Sung-jae, Kim Ji-yeon, and Kim Ji-hoon.
Starting with a high viewership rating of 9.2% (Nielsen Korea, nationwide), 'The Haunted Palace' received great love, recording 11% in its final episode. In response, Yoon Soo-jung recalled, "Since all the previous SBS Friday-Saturday dramas had high viewer ratings and great success, I worried a lot about whether I could meet those expectations. I had nightmares for a week before the premiere."
She continued, "I was thankful that the unbelievable high premiere viewership rating came out, and despite facing fierce competition, it wrapped up with high ratings. For me, 'The Haunted Palace' is a work that has returned after a long time, and aside from my debut work which was a one-act play, it was the first time I had complete control over the script, making me even happier and more grateful."
In response to the question about what the secret to this popularity is, Yoon said, "I think it's because the mixed genre, which combines a non-scary occult genre that anyone can watch without burden, with romantic comedy, action, mystery, and historical drama, satisfies the diverse tastes of viewers." She added, "And I believe that it's thanks to the fantastic directors, actors, and staff who filled the incomplete script generously."
As the show received great love and wrapped up, interest in Season 2 is also focused. Yoon Soo-jung explained, "In fact, the ending scene of the 16 episodes was not written with Season 2 in mind. I wanted to show that Gangcheol and Yeori were enjoying perfect happiness while building a family and were occasionally exchanging with King Lee Jeong."
At the same time, Yoon expressed a cautious reaction, saying, "I really appreciate those who desire Season 2. I think there may still be more to Gangcheol's story, but I understand that no specific decisions or discussions regarding Season 2 have been made yet."
When asked the same question to director Yoon Seong-sik, who directed 'The Haunted Palace,' he said, "'The Haunted Palace' was not originally planned as a drama with Season 2 in mind. It was designed as a story that has its own closure as a broadcast series." He added, "However, I believe the characters like Gangcheol, the eight-legged monster, and the Su-sal monster presented through 'The Haunted Palace' have quite enough value as K-occult brand characters."
Moreover, director Yoon Seong-sik said, "If various conditions are created in the future, we may begin to consider Season 2," and expressed his sincere gratitude for the interest and love shown towards the drama 'The Haunted Palace.'
Meanwhile, SBS 'The Haunted Palace' concluded on the 7th. Following it, SBS's new Friday-Saturday drama 'Our Movie' is currently airing.
[Photo] SBS 'The Haunted Palace'
[OSEN]