The newly released Netflix original drama Donggung is drawing explosive attention from viewers worldwide as a full-fledged occult genre piece set against the most secretive and closed-off backdrop imaginable: the royal palace of the Joseon Dynasty. While the occult genre, rampant with ghosts and shamanic rituals, is commonly found in Western media, the reason this work feels exceptionally special is that it heavily incorporates an unrivaled sentiment and mise-en-scène that could only be conceived within the unique culture and painful history of Korea. Completely diverging from Western evil spirits or exorcisms, this work, deeply steeped in an Oriental worldview and shamanistic beliefs, boasts an inherent originality that can never be imitated or produced by other countries. Immediately upon its release, this differentiated charm captivated both domestic and international critics and audiences, heightening expectations of whether the Korean-style occult can once again exert a powerful ripple effect in the global market.
In fact, the decisive turning point that brought 'K-content,' specifically the traditional Korean historical genre, to global prominence on a massive platform like Netflix was the dazzling success of Kingdom released in 2019. At the time, Kingdom perfectly transplanted the subject of zombies—previously considered an exclusive property of the West—into the antique setting of the Joseon Dynasty, delivering a fresh shock to viewers around the world. In particular, the menacing dynamism of the 'K-zombies,' who lunged like beasts at tremendous speeds unlike the sluggish Western zombies of the past, along with the delicate beauty of traditional attire like the 'gat' (traditional Korean hat) worn by the characters, thrilled overseas audiences and fully opened the era of globalization for Korean works. The new release Donggung also inherits the excellent narrative foundation and visual curiosity pioneered by Kingdom, but by dealing with the deeper and more eerie psychological horror subjects of 'ghosts and curses' rather than zombies, attention is focused on whether it can surpass the formidable reputation of its predecessor.
More so than its star-studded cast or massive scale, the core element that inspires trust and demands attention in Donggung is the solid track record of its writers. Kwon So-ra and Seo Jae-won, who penned this work, are the very creators behind the well-made masterpiece The Guest, which aired on the OCN channel and is praised for opening a new horizon for Korean-style realistic demonic thrillers. At the time, due to the nature of the highly niche, dark occult genre, The Guest did not achieve overwhelmingly high mainstream viewership ratings; however, with its flawless, intricate narrative and suffocating tension, it generated immense word-of-mouth and buzz among viewers. Those who binge-watched the series to the end unanimously praised it as "an unprecedented occult work that perfectly blends uniquely Korean sorrow (han) and shamanism." Consequently, the public's anticipation for the bizarre universe of Donggung, ambitiously written by this reunited duo, has already reached its absolute peak.
In this new work as well, the writers cleverly implemented on screen the unique occult elements that can be shown most multi-dimensionally and persuasively only within Korea's historical and cultural context. Since ancient times, the most representative and symbolic place where ghosts appear and bizarre events occur in traditional Korean historical dramas or ghost stories is none other than the royal palace where the King resides. Just as the deceased king in Kingdom transformed into a horrifying monster craving blood every night, the palace—adorned with splendid dancheong (traditional coloring) and tiled roofs—outwardly appears to be the pinnacle of supreme power and the most sacred place, but behind that facade, it is the most secretive and darkest space thoroughly shielded from outside eyes. Furthermore, the palace is surrounded by numerous high walls and tightly closed gates like deep mountains, giving it the terrifying nature of a restricted, closed-off prison where, once you step foot inside, it is absolutely impossible to freely enter and leave of your own volition.
The special spatial and political circumstances of such a palace naturally gave rise to all sorts of power struggles, secret feuds, and bloody, ruthless purges. In the process, it inevitably became a massive repository of resentment, layered with the blood-soaked curses and sorrow of countless people who were unjustly sacrificed. Just as shadows deepen where the light is strongest, the imagination that the sorrowful souls of concubines abandoned by their lord, loyal subjects falsely accused of treason, and court ladies who died silently are wandering the afterlife in the dark corners of the palace—where blind greed for absolute power swirls—is a profoundly Korean and melancholic sentiment. Consequently, the royal palace seems to be the stage most loved by ghosts and where they most actively haunt within Korean shamanism and ghost tales. Based on this tragic historical and emotional foundation, Donggung adopts a captivating horror premise: while the King's majesty shines brilliantly during the day, at night, bizarre and horrifying ghosts gather and run rampant in the secretive pavilions of the palace.
The vengeful spirits infesting the palace in the drama do not simply wander in the dark; they possess a clear and terrifying purpose to inflict direct and fatal harm upon the absolute ruler, the King, and his immediate family residing within the palace, in order to appease their blood-soaked grievances. Looking solely at this narrative pattern—the blind curses and murderous revenge of these vengeful spirits, and the development where a Taoist master or shaman endowed with miraculous abilities secretly intervenes in the palace to stop them with spells—it is actually a very familiar and classic structure for Korean viewers, passed down since the days of old folklore shows. This traditional pattern of poetic justice or the resolution of grievances, where the unjustly deceased become terrifying ghosts to exercise physical destructive power in the living world and the survivors fight back with exorcism rituals or barriers, stimulates great curiosity as to how fresh and bizarre an Oriental dark fantasy it will appear to the eyes of foreign viewers accustomed to Western exorcism media.
Another core technical element that determines the immersion and success of the occult genre lies in how naturally the VFX (Visual Effects) can implement supernatural entities like ghosts or bizarre paranormal phenomena without feeling out of place. The moment the clumsiness of computer graphics becomes apparent, the viewer's immersion is bound to shatter coldly. To prevent this, rather than forcing ghosts to appear in the bright daylight of reality, the production team actively utilizes pitch-black nights or special shamanic environments to cleverly heighten the perceived level of visual horror. Furthermore, Donggung introduces an ingenious fantasy setting that goes beyond ghosts unilaterally popping out into the real world: the protagonists themselves physically step into 'another dimensional world' where the ghosts exist. This method makes the bizarre visual effects that completely ignore the physical laws of the real world believable as natural phenomena unique to that alternate space, proving to be an outstanding choice that completely erases visual awkwardness and maximizes the viewer's immersion.
The three main characters leading the breathless narrative also elevate the immersion of the play to its peak, each harboring distinct personalities and hidden secrets. 'Gu-cheon,' played with a chilling yet weighty charm by actor Nam Joo-hyuk, goes beyond simply chasing ghosts away from the outside; he is the central figure of the action spectacle, possessing the mighty and mysterious ability to directly enter their terrifying dimensional world to physically slash and permanently kill the vengeful spirits. On the other hand, 'Saeng-gang,' played by Chungmuro's rising star Roh Yoon-seo, outwardly appears to be an ordinary and fragile court lady doing menial chores in the palace, but she is a multi-dimensional character keeping a fatal secret: she can vividly hear the bone-chilling whispers and screams of ghosts that others can never hear. Meanwhile, the great actor Cho Seung-woo, who shows off an overwhelming screen presence that dominates the screen in every project, takes on the role of the King holding absolute power in this work. Although he seems like a supporting character providing the background of the incident early in the play, he ends up standing in the center of a massive, uncontrollable vortex of events as he directly receives a horrifying curse from the vengeful spirits threatening to sever the royal bloodline.
To protect his young son, Prince Yeongyang—the foundation of the nation and his only bloodline—from the clutches of the terrible demons, the King in crisis secretly summons Gu-cheon into the palace and gives the court lady Saeng-gang a precarious double strict order to be his reliable assistant while simultaneously monitoring his every move. Receiving the King's heavy secret order, Gu-cheon enters the palace, and whenever ghosts attack aiming for Prince Yeongyang's life, he readily crosses over into their bizarre world, engaging in desperate, life-or-death struggles to ruthlessly dispose of the vengeful spirits one by one. In this perilous and horrifying process, Saeng-gang, who was initially just a simple observer, does not remain a terrified, hiding court lady; instead, she actively rescues and assists Gu-cheon with unexpected wit and hidden abilities at every moment of absolute crisis. Gu-cheon is also inwardly greatly surprised by her extraordinary assistance, and a strange, solid bond unique to those who have shared life-and-death situations forms between the two. In particular, while Gu-cheon's swordsmanship action showing off splendid martial prowess is excellent, the scene where Saeng-gang resolutely smears her own red blood on her forehead during a critical moment to exercise shamanic wit remains deeply etched in the mind as a visually much more intense and goosebump-inducing masterpiece scene.
Ultimately, despite using familiar and classic ingredients somewhat unsurprising to Korean viewers—the Joseon royal palace, grudge-bearing horrifying ghosts, and traditional shamanism—the drama Donggung heavily delivers genre entertainment far beyond imagination through overwhelming visual beauty and the construction of an intricate and delicate universe. Passing the setup that induces intense curiosity in the early parts, as the episodes progress in earnest, the ugly secrets of the royal family hidden deep within the palace for hundreds of years and the intertwined tragic pasts of the characters gradually surface, exerting a terrifying narrative magnetism that glues viewers to the screen. Expectations are growing day by day regarding the global performance of this well-made masterpiece, which feels familiar yet freshly approaches with a unique grotesque charm even to Korean eyes, and how bizarre yet captivating an Oriental dark fantasy it will appear to Western viewers. Armed with a solid and dense script, the explosive, passionate performances of trustworthy actors, and outstanding visual effects that make it impossible to take your eyes off the screen, the new release Donggung makes us watch with great curiosity and excitement until the final episode to see if it can truly leap beyond the massive achievements of Kingdom, which sparked a worldwide K-zombie syndrome, and firmly establish itself as the new legend of Netflix's original K-occult.
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