SBS Rides K-Occult Wave with ‘Revenant’ and ‘The Haunted Palace’ as Genre Sees Global Rebound.
While K-romance, K-thrillers, and high school dramas keep exploding in popularity, K-occult had kind of lost momentum—at least until SBS stepped in with back-to-back hits like Revenant and The Haunted Palace. The network’s recent lineup proves they’re doubling down on genre variety, pushing the boundaries beyond the usual action-hero dramas they’ve traditionally leaned on.
Now, The Haunted Palace might’ve seemed like a gamble—it’s a fantasy historical drama with deep roots in Korean folklore and a twist of ghostly possession. But it paid off big time. Directed by Yoon Sung-sik, the series topped its Saturday time slot for eight straight weeks and wrapped up with a strong 11% viewership rating. That same night, MBC’s Oh My Ghost Clients dropped to a mere 2%.
Director Yoon Sung-sik’s Vision: Spirits With Empathy, Not Fear
Yoon Sung-sik explained the drama’s unique appeal: “I believe the drama gained widespread empathy because it wasn’t limited to the occult genre but was a mixed genre appropriately blending romantic comedy and human drama. Our work is unique in approaching spirits not as objects of fear and caution, but as objects of pity and empathy. I think this aspect broke preconceptions about the occult genre and allowed it to approach viewers with fresh appeal.”
One of the biggest things that set The Haunted Palace apart was its handling of traditional spirits like Palcheokgwi, susal-gwi Ok-im, Yagwanggwi, and Sugwi Makdol. They’ve popped up in other shows, but here, they were reimagined with empathy and fresh nuance, which softened the typical discomfort viewers associate with them.
And SBS isn’t stopping there. They’ve turned their Friday-Saturday drama slot into a full-blown genre showcase—everything from Buried Hearts to Connection, The Fiery Priest 2, and Taxi Driver. It’s no wonder SBS has solidified its position at the top of the ratings game, now pulling ahead of old rivals like MBC and even surpassing the once-unbeatable tvN.
That strategy’s paid off. My Perfect Secretary rode the K-romance wave with perfect timing, delivering an 11% peak rating while boosting the brand value of Lee Jun-hyuk and Han Ji-min. And Treasure Island? It closed with 15.7%, the highest miniseries rating this year.
The overseas buzz around The Haunted Palace has only added to the momentum. On global OTT platform View, it ranked No.1 for two straight weeks in Hong Kong and Thailand, and broke into the top 3 in Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia, and more. That’s no small feat for a series built around uniquely Korean spirits and traditional themes.
Director Yoon Sung-sik commented on that success overseas: “From the planning stage, we aimed to elicit global empathy. While The Haunted Palace deals with very Korean spirits appearing in traditional Korean folklore, I believe the unique Korean sentiment of ‘Han,’ which portrays spirits as objects of empathy rather than fear, appealed to universal human emotions. Especially in Asia, while each country has its own indigenous beliefs, the core shared worldview stems from Buddhism and Taoism. Within this pan-Eastern worldview, the most Korean elements and emotions could evoke universal empathy with their unique charm.”
Then there’s Revenant, which premiered in June 2023. Written by Kim Eun-hee (the same mind behind Kingdom), it follows Ku San-young (Kim Tae-ri), a woman possessed by an evil spirit, and Yeom Hae-sang (Oh Jung-se), who can see it. The pair dig into mysterious deaths, bringing a whole new dimension to the Korean occult mystery genre.
Rather than using the usual Western exorcism tropes, Revenant focused on Korean folk beliefs and rituals. Kim Eun-hee really did her homework—meeting with folklore professors and cultural officials—to make sure her work was rooted in authenticity. Her effort didn’t go unnoticed; Revenant grabbed the Bronze Medal in the Sci-Fi/Fantasy/Horror Drama category at the 2024 New York Festivals TV & Film Awards.
At this point, SBS might just be the only network fully embracing high-risk genres like occult horror and pulling it off. By betting on shows that twist genre norms—like The Haunted Palace did by mixing K-spirit myth with emotional depth—they’re proving there’s a big appetite for new storytelling angles, both at home and abroad.
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