Nam Joo Hyuk Undergoes Intense Training for 'The East Palace' Action Scenes

South Korean actor Nam Joo Hyuk has undergone rigorous training for his role as Gu Cheon in the upcoming series, The East Palace. Gu Cheon is a character capable of traversing the spirit world, a concept that demanded extensive preparation for physically demanding action sequences.

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I spent a lot of time practicing movement choreography, which we then refined further on set. Once the movements became muscle memory, performing the action scenes felt much smoother.

"I spent a lot of time practicing movement choreography, which we then refined further on set. Once the movements became muscle memory, performing the action scenes felt much smoother," Nam Joo Hyuk shared during a press conference on Wednesday, July 8, 2026. The 32-year-old actor highlighted the water scenes as particularly memorable and challenging, requiring filming in both summer and winter conditions.

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Those scenes were very demanding and exhausting, but the results look incredibly beautiful on screen. I am very grateful to the director for packaging them into such an astonishing visual feast.

"Those scenes were very demanding and exhausting, but the results look incredibly beautiful on screen. I am very grateful to the director for packaging them into such an astonishing visual feast," he added. Nam Joo Hyuk also depicted sword fights against supernatural beings in the spirit realm, acting alongside invisible creatures that will be added through visual effects. He focused on imagining these unseen entities and the spirit world to translate them clearly for the audience.

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I continue to try to imagine the unseen spirits and the spirit world, thinking about how to translate this world clearly on screen so that it doesn't feel too disruptive to the audience.

Filming The East Palace alongside co-stars Roh Yoon Seo and Cho Seung Woo proved to be a valuable learning experience for Nam Joo Hyuk. He noted Roh Yoon Seo's positive energy created an enjoyable atmosphere despite the demanding production. "She is also very focused whenever we act together, which helps create a strong chemistry between us," he said. Nam Joo Hyuk expressed long-standing admiration for veteran actor Cho Seung Woo, viewing the opportunity to act with him as an honor and a chance to learn. "He is a very influential figure on set, which helped me stay focused on my role, and simply being able to witness his impressive performance up close is a great honor," he stated.

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She is also very focused whenever we act together, which helps create a strong chemistry between us.