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The Haunted Palace Episodes 1-2 Recap: Evil spirit possesses Yook Sungjae's body, Bona confronts dark forces
In The Haunted Palace episodes 1-2, Yeo Ri, a shamanic healer, faces vengeful spirits, including Gang Cheol, who possesses a government officer. Dark secrets unfold as Yeo Ri's past resurfaces.
The Haunted Palace, a supernatural thriller set in the Joseon Dynasty, aired its first two episodes on April 18 and 19, 2025. Starring Yook Sungjae, Kim Ji Yeon (Bona), and Kim Ji Hoon, the series dives deep into a dark and mysterious world, where vengeful female ghosts and powerful spirits haunt the royal family, seeking retribution. The central plot follows Yoon Gap, a government officer who becomes possessed by an Imugi, a shape-shifting serpent-like creature, and the efforts of Yeo Ri, a shamanic healer, to save him.
Episode 1 recap
The first episode begins with a shaman narrating the tale of Gang Cheol, a dragon who sought to ascend to the heavens but was cursed after being seen by a human child. His thousand years of sacred discipline turned to dust, and as a result, Gang Cheol transformed into an Imugi, an ancient serpent filled with hatred towards humans. The shaman warns her granddaughter, Yeo Ri (Bona), that this spirit targets powerful shamans like her. That night, Yeo Ri sees Gang Cheol watching her from a distance, foreshadowing the impending danger.
Thirteen years later, the young prince begins displaying strange behavior, harming the people around him. King Lee Sung (Kim Ji Hoon) dismisses his son’s symptoms as a medical issue, but a civil servant named Yoon Gap (Yook Sungjae) suspects something far more sinister at play. He advises the king to bring in a shaman to save the prince. Meanwhile, Yeo Ri, who now works as an optician, is called to assist Lord Choi Won U’s daughter, who is being haunted by a vengeful ghost. Yeo Ri manages to calm the spirit, but Gang Cheol, who has been observing her, begins to create trouble for the villagers.
The episode further delves into Yeo Ri’s past. Her grandmother, fearing for her safety, warns Yeo Ri that only a shaman with immense power could help Gang Cheol ascend to the heavens, should she choose to accept him. The grandmother gives Yeo Ri a ghostbane stone for protection. However, Gang Cheol kills Yeo Ri’s grandmother during a ritual, and the villagers begin to blame Yeo Ri for the misfortunes they are experiencing. Feeling betrayed, Yeo Ri vows to never give in to Gang Cheol.
A twist occurs when Yeo Ri encounters Yoon Gap, a childhood friend who had stood by her during her most difficult times. He offers her a position as the King’s personal optician, and despite Gang Cheol’s opposition, Yeo Ri accepts the offer. This decision leads to tragic consequences as Yoon Gap is ambushed and killed by assassins. Gang Cheol then possesses his body, setting the stage for the next phase of the story. In the dramatic final moments of Episode 1, Yeo Ri and Gang Cheol engage in a struggle over the ghostbane stone. In the chaos, both fall off a cliff, with Yoon Gap’s ghost looking on helplessly.
Episode 2 recap
Episode 2 picks up with Yeo Ri waking up in the palace, where she learns that the King’s spies rescued her and Yoon Gap, who is now completely possessed by Gang Cheol. The King orders that Yoon Gap receive the best medical care, but Yeo Ri begins to suspect that Gang Cheol might not have been the one to kill Yoon Gap as she examines Yoon Gap’s body and notes a sword wound, raising questions about the true nature of his death.
Meanwhile, the Queen Dowager reveals that she witnessed a terrifying creature in the prince’s chambers: a monster she believes is the same one she saw 13 years ago. Yoon Gap’s body, now possessed by Gang Cheol, continues to wreak havoc. One of Yoon Gap’s assassins tries to kill him but is easily defeated by Gang Cheol, whose powers are growing stronger by the day.
Moreover, Gang Cheol experiences the human senses for the first time while eating rice porridge, enjoying it immensely. He is interrupted by a groaning sound and exclaims, "It's him." He quickly runs away, saying that he needs to get Yeo Ri and leave before "he" notices. Later, Yeo Ri hears Yoon Gap’s voice calling her and follows it, only to be tricked by a ghost in the well attempting to drown her. Gang Cheol saves her, but Yeo Ri is determined to speak with the ghost about Yoon Gap’s soul.
Yeo Ri’s suspicions continue to mount, especially when she finds herself in the palace’s royal tailor shop, where she discovers that the King already possesses sunglasses made from the ghostbane stone. She tries to investigate further but is interrupted by the Queen, who orders her to leave the palace. Nevertheless, Yeo Ri finds herself entangled in a web of supernatural forces as she overhears palace maids gossiping about Yoon Gap’s bizarre behavior. He has been acting erratically, jumping from rooftops and running with knives in his mouth.
Yeo Ri then follows Yoon Gap to a courtesan house, where he is indulging in food and alcohol. Yeo Ri meets Yoon Gap’s mother, who thanks her grandmother for saving her son’s life years ago. Yeo Ri’s heart breaks as she realizes that her grandmother’s prophecy, that Yoon Gap wouldn’t live past 30, has come true. She feels determined to perform a ritual to bring Yoon Gap’s soul back but is confronted by Gang Cheol, who warns her to let go of her obsession.
Later, the King’s guards come to take Yoon Gap for work, and Yeo Ri persuades him to go along. She sneaks into the palace again, hoping to set up a ritual to communicate with the ghost in the well. She learns from the drowned ghost that Yoon Gap’s spirit is being consumed by a dark force known as the Colossal Shadow.
In the final moments of Episode 2, the Colossal Shadow reveals itself to be the entity now possessing the body of the young prince, sending a chill through the palace as the real threat emerges. Gang Cheol, sensing this new dark presence, becomes even more protective of Yeo Ri, knowing that the battle against the Colossal Shadow will soon come to a head.
