Netflix's 'The Ghost of Donggung Palace': 3 Actors Praised for Standout Performances

Queen Dowager – Jang Young-nam (장영남)
King – Cho Seung-woo (조승우)
Crown Prince Ghost – Kwak Dong-yeon (곽동연)

Many viewers initially considered dropping the series after the first few episodes but were drawn back in by the continuous plot twists and increasing depth of the story. While not reaching the level of Kingdom, the fantasy historical drama received praise for avoiding controversial "Northeast Project" issues, which was seen as a significant positive.

                                                                   Korean Netizen Comments                                                                  

1. I completely agree, it's just a shame the male and female leads were a bit weak.
2. Why did Kwak Dong-yeon have to die so quickly? ㅠㅠ I only watched for his acting, and then my hope was instantly gone.
3. The Queen Dowager isn't the Crown Prince's biological mother, right? Did she have some kind of deal with the late king?

4. Kwak Dong-yeon is naturally an acting monster; I hope his career continues to flourish.
5. The Queen Dowager was truly incredible.
6. Kwak Dong-yeon held his own perfectly even when acting opposite Jang Young-nam and Cho Seung-woo. His expressions, emotions, and vocal delivery were all superb.

7. Because the entire show was a showcase of talented actors, it made the male and female leads' performances stand out as more regrettable, especially when emotional outbursts were needed in the latter half. (I really like The Ghost of Donggung Palace and the leads, I just feel this way.)
8. After watching the entire series, the Queen Dowager left the biggest impression on me.
9. I also clicked on this thinking of these three actors. It seems everyone feels the same.

10. Cho Seung-woo and Jang Young-nam's acting was truly divine. I haven't seen Kwak Dong-yeon's scenes yet, but I'm looking forward to them.
11. These three are already recognized as powerhouse actors.
12. Kwak Dong-yeon's incredible acting has been evident since Vincenzo.

13. These three fully demonstrated seasoned acting befitting their experience; in contrast, the two leads' performances were rather bland, feeling like anyone could have played them without distinct characteristics. Kwak Dong-yeon has actually been a great actor since Puberty Medley; he was born for this profession.
14. Agreed, these three actors are truly phenomenal.
15. Cho Seung-woo and Jang Young-nam are already widely recognized as "trustworthy actors," and Kwak Dong-yeon is in my heart too; he acts incredibly well in every project.

16. Kwak Dong-yeon is consistently solid in every drama. I'm increasingly anticipating his future works.
17. Kwak Dong-yeon's acting truly gave me goosebumps; I couldn't stop praising him.
18. The plot, costumes, art direction, and acting were all good individually, but when put together, it felt a bit strange. Perhaps the director's pacing was problematic, making the whole drama feel disjointed and not smooth enough.

19. While those three are indeed strong, I actually don't think the male lead's historical drama acting was bad. It was my first time watching him in a full role, and I thought he was pretty good. The female lead, however, spoke too modernly, making it hard to evaluate. But I don't think either of them were as bad as everyone says.
20. Kwak Dong-yeon has truly been an acting prodigy since childhood ㅠㅠ.
21. All the other roles were cast so well, why were the male and female leads like this?

22. The Queen Dowager was absolutely divine; her acting was incredibly exaggerated.
23. Cho Seung-woo and Jang Young-nam put on an acting feast, Kwak Dong-yeon was also amazing, and even the supporting actors were excellent.
24. I almost gave up on the show early on, but these three actors were the reason I kept watching until the end.

25. Aside from the male and female leads, almost everyone else's acting was perfect.
26. The Queen Dowager's performance was worthy of a Grand Prize (Best Actor).
27. Every time the Queen Dowager appeared, I found her incredibly terrifying haha.

28. It's funny how many people keep saying the male and female leads can't act, even though they weren't bad. The Ghost of Donggung Palace is my favorite K-drama this year, and I hope it becomes more popular.
29. These three were so amazing that the leads were overshadowed. Sometimes I wanted to stop watching during the main characters' scenes, but I couldn't help but continue when these talented actors appeared.
30. Personally, I felt Cho Seung-woo wasn't quite suited to play the King, and Jang Young-nam's portrayal was a bit too much.

31. I really don't understand why the female lead keeps getting roles. There are so many new actresses, but her diction isn't good, her acting is truly lacking, and the role didn't suit her.
32. I initially thought Kwak Dong-yeon was just making a special appearance, but he completely carried the latter half of the series.
33. I really like Jang Young-nam and Cho Seung-woo. I don't have strong opinions about the female lead, and her dirty-faced look was quite cute.

34. Jang Young-nam and Kwak Dong-yeon's acting styles were a bit intense, but because the script itself was somewhat loose, this intensity was needed to maintain audience attention. It's a shame Cho Seung-woo didn't have more scenes where he could truly explode.
35. I kept falling asleep and gave up on the show earlier, but now that everyone is praising Kwak Dong-yeon, I feel like going back to watch it haha. And I happened to quit right before he officially appeared.