Korean Folklore vs. Real Ghost Myths in Netflix's The East Palace

 

Photo: Netflix

Netflix’s Joseon-era dark fantasy The East Palace (Donggung) has captivated viewers with its haunting atmosphere and palace intrigue. Screenwriters Kwon So-ra and Seo Jae-won (The Guest) draw heavily on traditional Korean shamanism, but adapt ancient traditions into action-packed K-drama tropes.

How does the show’s dark fantasy world compare to famous Korean ghost stories and centuries-old folklore? Here is a breakdown of the real myths behind The East Palace.

1. Won-Gwi: Tragic Spirits & The Legend of Arang

In The East Palace, a won-gwi (원귀) is a vengeful spirit born from violent death. While the drama turns these spirits into physical monsters, traditional Korean folklore views them as tragic souls trapped by han—a uniquely Korean concept of deep, unresolved grief and injustice.

Korea's most famous won-gwi ghost stories center on seeking justice rather than committing mindless violence:

• The Legend of Arang (Arang-gaksi): In Milyang, a magistrate’s daughter named Arang was wrongfully murdered. Her spirit haunted newly appointed magistrates, scaring them to death until one brave official listened to her tragic story, uncovered her murderer, and gave her a proper burial.

  
  Photo: All About K-CONTENT

• Cheonyeo Gwishin (Virgin Ghost): Korea’s most recognized ghost—dressed in white burial clothes (sobok) with long untied hair—represents young women who died before fulfilling their life purpose.

Rather than physical beasts, authentic won-gwi manifest through cold breezes, eerie cries, or misfortune to signal that their grievances need resolution.

2. Akgwi and Mul-Gwishin: When Grief Turns Malicious

In The East Palace, a won-gwi that festers in hatred mutates into an akgwi (악귀)—a demonic entity that spreads curses and drains human energy.

While real folklore treats akgwi as pure evil, Korean urban legends often attribute this malice to intense loneliness. A famous example is the Mul-gwishin (물귀신), or Water Ghost. According to folklore, souls who drown in rivers or deep wells become so lonely in the dark waters that they drag unsuspecting swimmers down to take their place. This gave rise to the popular Korean idiom "mul-gwishin jakjeon" (water ghost tactic), meaning pulling someone down with you.

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3. Ghost Slayers vs. Mudang Shamanic Rituals

Gu-cheon’s (Nam Joo-hyuk) role as a sword-wielding ghost slayer makes for thrilling television, but Joseon-era Koreans did not battle spirits with steel.

When a community faced a spirit curse, they hired a mudang (female shaman) to perform a gut (굿). Through rhythmic drumming, chanting, dancing, and food offerings, the mudang acted as a mediator. Her goal was never to destroy the ghost, but to heal its trauma, soothe its han, and guide its soul safely to the afterlife (Jeosung).

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Quick Lore Breakdown

Feature	The East Palace (Netflix)	Authentic Korean Folklore
Won-Gwi	Physical monster spreading curses	Tragic soul seeking justice for han
Akgwi	Parasitic demon invading human bodies	Malicious spirit born of extreme malice or loneliness
Exorcism	Sword combat in a dark mirror dimension	Gut ritual performed by a mudang with music and food

The Verdict

While The East Palace transforms Korean mythology into an action-packed fantasy, its thematic core aligns with ancient tradition: ghosts are ultimately created by human cruelty.

Which Korean legend in The East Palace caught your attention the most? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

Naver Webtoon to Netflix: How 'Agent Kim Reactivated' Transformed 'Manager Kim'

The original webtoon available through Naver Comics

Photo: Naver Comics / PTJ Comics

Adapting a Naver webtoon from the Park Tae-jun Universe (Lookism, Viral Hit) into live-action is a dangerous game. Readers expect wild power scaling, speed blurs, and combat that shatters concrete walls. When SBS and Netflix announced Agent Kim Reactivated, purists wondered if live-action television could actually capture the chaotic magic of Manager Kim (김부장).

As it turns out, the drama didn't try to copy-paste the webcomics. Instead, it gave us a clever, ground-level translation. Here is how the screen adaptation compares to the original webtoon—and why the changes actually work.

1. Action Design: Comic Physics vs. Tactical Realism

The original webtoon's high-octane visual style

Photo: Naver Comics / PTJ Comics

The webtoon lives in a world of superhero-level martial arts. Fights feature speed blurs, endless endurance, and characters taking impacts that would pulverize real human bones.

The live-action drama trades that stylized flair for visceral Close Quarters Combat (CQC). So Ji-sub’s fights aren't floaty or full of wirework; they are heavy, claustrophobic, and practical. When Manager Kim uses bank stationery or office supplies as improvised weapons, the impact feels terrifyingly real rather than cartoonish. By grounding the combat physics, the series turns comic-book violence into a high-stakes tactical thriller.

2. Lead Character: Invincible Legend vs. Exhausted Father

The original webtoon features a near-invincible character

Photo: Naver Comics / PTJ Comics

In the webcomic, Manager Kim is an established, imposing operative who effortlessly dominates every scene he walks into. He’s cool, composed, and rarely shown feeling defeated.

The drama takes a far more human route with Kim Do-hyeon. So Ji-sub plays him as a genuinely weary bank employee first—a single father bowing his head to arrogant bosses and swallowing his pride to protect his daughter, Min-ji. Showing his domestic vulnerability before "Agent 66" gets unsealed makes his eventual rampage infinitely more satisfying. You feel the weight of his exhaustion in every frame.

3. Narrative Stakes: Enemy Gauntlets vs. Personal Vendettas

King - One of the "Final bosses" Kim faces

Photo: Naver Comics / PTJ Comics

Webtoons thrive on episodic gauntlets where the main character fights through waves of colorful martial artists. While fun on the page, that format can feel repetitive across ten hours of television.

The drama expands the story's emotional skeleton. It fleshes out antagonist Ju Gang-chan and his daughter Hye-ri to comment on wealth-fueled bullying, giving Min-ji’s abduction a grounded social bite. Adding North Korean operative Park Gang-seong—a man seeking personal revenge—gives the espionage backstory a personal face rather than just an endless line of nameless henchmen.

Quick Comparison

Feature	Webtoon (Manager Kim)	Drama (Agent Kim Reactivated)
Combat Style	Over-the-top, superhuman speed & power	Heavy, practical, grounded CQC
Lead Character	Cool, invincible black-ops legend	Exhausted dad forced out of retirement
Villains	Martial arts gauntlets & underworld syndicates	Personal rivalries & systemic corruption

The Verdict

Agent Kim Reactivated proves that a great adaptation isn't a shot-for-shot recreation. By preserving the webtoon’s core dad-trio dynamics while grounding the action in raw emotion, the drama stands tall as its own beast.

Which version of Manager Kim hit harder for you—the webcomic legend or So Ji-sub's weary father?