[Edaily Starin Gim Ga Yeong Reporter] “While serving in the military, my desire to act grew even stronger starting from the time I was a corporal. I wanted to successfully bring my ideas and plans to life, and that’s when I came across ‘Donggung.’ I believe I gave it my all—120 percent.”

In an interview held on the 21st at a café in Samcheong-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul, actor Nam Joo-hyuk spoke about the recently released Netflix series *Donggung*, saying, “I had a tough time because there were so many action scenes. I weighed 85 kg when filming began, but by the end, I was down to 78 kg.”
“Donggung” is a Netflix series that follows Gu-cheon (Nam Joo-hyuk), who possesses the ability to traverse the spirit world, and Saeng-gang (Noh Yoon-seo), a palace maid harboring a secret, as they are summoned by the King (Jo Seung-woo) to uncover the curse haunting the East Palace. In this series, Nam Joo-hyuk plays the role of Gu Cheon, who travels between the “world of ghosts” and the “real world” to slay spirits.
Nam Joo-hyuk explained his reason for choosing the project, saying, “I did a lot of romance roles in my 20s, so ‘Donggung’ was a new challenge,” adding, “I felt that by taking on new challenges, I could show a different side of myself even within the genre.”
In *Donggung*, Nam Joo-hyuk tackled numerous action scenes, demonstrating his potential in the genre. “When I first read the script, there were parts I thought I could handle easily, but as I filmed them, I got exhausted,” he said. “On the other hand, I thought it was nice to be like Gu Cheon. "After all, even Gu Cheon must get tired as he goes along. I told myself that no matter how hard it got, I had to deliver those intense action sequences." He then joked, "Toward the end, I was in the water so much that I couldn’t tell if I was in water or on land—it felt like I had become one with the water."
Nam Joo-hyuk also spoke about his senior co-star Jo Seung-woo, who played the king in *Donggung*: “He made sure the junior actors and staff felt comfortable. He let us ride on his positive energy.” He continued, “Although we appeared in the same production, we probably didn’t share even ten scenes together. I’d love to work with him again on a project where we can share more scenes.”
He revealed, “After filming wrapped, I wrote him a letter expressing my hope that we could meet again in a project where we could work together more closely. Although I didn’t receive a reply by letter, he sent me warm words in a long text message. I was very grateful.”
Regarding Noh Yoon-seo, with whom he co-starred in *Donggung*, he explained, “I mostly thought of her as a comrade-in-arms. I didn’t think of it as a romance. However, when the show aired, I realized I needed to act in a way that would leave viewers wondering whether our relationship was that of comrades or a romantic one. I wanted to create a story that would let the audience use their imagination.”
“Donggung” also drew attention as Nam Joo-hyuk’s first project following his discharge from the military. “I wasn’t particularly nervous just because it was my first project after discharge,” he revealed. “I get nervous about every project, and I think about how to channel that nervousness positively and let it influence my work.”
Kwak Dong-yeon, who co-starred in “Donggung,” is set to enlist next month. When asked, “Did you give actor Kwak Dong-yeon any advice about military life?” he replied, “I don’t think there’s any specific formula for the military. A year and six months might feel like a long time to those serving, but in the grand scheme of things, it’s a short period. If you think carefully about how to adapt quickly and grow while you’re there, that time will fly by.”
Nam Joo-hyuk, who shared his thoughts on his dreams with his fellow soldiers during his military service, invited his comrades to the premiere of *Donggung*. He said, “While in the military, we had a lot of personal time and spent a lot of time together, so we talked a lot about our dreams. Since this is the first opportunity I’ve had to showcase my dreams, I wanted to invite them to give them more encouragement. Since they’re in their 20s, I wanted to show them that they can achieve their dreams,” he said, adding, “I wanted to give my comrades positive energy.”
Nam Joo-hyuk was embroiled in allegations of school bullying before enlisting in the military. In 2022, a whistleblower identified as “A” claimed to have been a victim of school bullying by Nam Joo-hyuk, leading to a prolonged dispute over the truth between the two parties. In 2024, the court sentenced “A”—a high school classmate of Nam Joo-hyuk and the alleged whistleblower—and “B,” who reported the story, to fines of 7 million won each.
Regarding this matter, Nam Joo-hyuk took a cautious stance, saying, “Since this is a process of clarifying the facts, I’m watching closely and waiting patiently,” and added, “It’s difficult for me to speak in detail.” When asked if he felt wronged by being embroiled in the school bullying allegations, he replied, “I didn’t feel wronged in the slightest. I’m just letting things take their course and giving it enough time.”
Nam Joo-hyuk also confided, “I want to play a variety of characters,” adding, “I feel like I’ve been living with a renewed mindset, determined to do better. I’ll be thinking about how I can improve and show you a new side of myself.”