Netflix and Disney+ Line Up New K-Content: “The East Palace” Ghost Curse, “Love on the Menu” Romance, and “All or Nothing” Egypt Showdown

Netflix and Disney+ are simultaneously heating up South Korea’s summer TV slate with a steady stream of new previews—spanning supernatural drama, family romance, and idol-led reality competition. On the same day that Netflix unveiled fresh stills for The East Palace, Soompi also reported the release of character posters for Love on the Menu, while a separate Soompi update confirmed the lineup and broadcast timing for the K-pop travel variety show All or Nothing.

Netflix’s “The East Palace” teases a curse beneath royal walls

The East Palace will follow an unsettling premise: Gu Cheon (Nam Joo Hyuk) can traverse the world of ghosts, while Saeng Gang (Roh Yoon Seo), a court lady, can hear ghosts’ voices. The drama’s pressure intensifies with the arrival of the King (Cho Seung Woo), who summons Gu Cheon to investigate mysterious incidents tied to a palace rumored to be under a curse.

The newly released stills emphasize the palace’s ominous atmosphere and the psychological tension behind each investigation. One image shows the King holding Prince Yeongan (Jo Dan) with a look of desperation and fear—suggesting that the consequences of the curse may already be reaching the royal family itself. Other scenes depict the King ordering Gu Cheon to kneel, and show disorienting, high-stakes moments such as Gu Cheon walking into a pond with a rope around his neck.

According to the preview materials, the “world of ghosts” functions as a parallel space—visually hinted through a red aura surrounding Gu Cheon and unfamiliar landscapes. The King, meanwhile, is portrayed as someone who does not believe in ghosts or curses, raising a core question for the series: why summon a specialist in the supernatural if he refuses to accept the supernatural is real? The stakes appear designed to pivot the story from skepticism to survival as the truth behind the curse is uncovered.

The East Palace premieres July 17 on Netflix.

“Love on the Menu” uses blurred focus to frame long-term loneliness

In a different tonal direction, Love on the Menu leans into intimacy and emotional repair. The upcoming family romance drama centers on Kim Moo Jin (Ha Seok Jin), an Italian restaurant owner-chef, and Han Gyu Rim (Hani), who works at a side-dish shop. The characters reunite eight years after a painful breakup, and the show positions their reconnection as both a personal and family-centered transformation.

Rather than leading with spectacle, the newly released posters aim to communicate restraint and isolation. The production’s visual strategy uses blurred focus to convey the loneliness each character has carried separately. In the poster for Kim Moo Jin, he leans back alone on a sofa, framed by a subdued environment—paired with a line referencing a “first and last encounter” arriving during “cold and withered times.” For Han Gyu Rim, the poster places her within another quiet space, marked by the sense that each day has become a difficult routine—captured in a line describing 24-hour life as “homework,” interrupted by a first spark that feels “unsettlingly ominous.”

Production statements (as summarized in the Soompi report) say the creators wanted to express how two people who have endured long lonely periods exist in their own bubbles—then gradually shift from emotional emptiness toward “warm comfort” as their relationship develops. The previews also highlight the anticipated chemistry between Ha Seok Jin and Hani as a major driver for the show’s nuanced emotional pacing.

Love on the Menu premieres July 25 at 8 p.m. KST.

Disney+ bets on idol chemistry with “All or Nothing” in Egypt

Meanwhile, All or Nothing brings competitive reality TV energy with an international travel setting and a high-contrast reward system. Soompi reports that the show—described as a winner-take-all travel survival series—will be set entirely in Egypt, with locations including Cairo, Luxor, and Hurghada.

The cast is built around idol and entertainment crossover appeal: SUPER JUNIOR members Leeteuk and Shindong; DAWN; Kim Yo Han of WEi; and NCT members Johnny and Jisung. Over seven days and six nights, the group travels through Egypt while competing for the title of “prince.” The format is simple but designed to amplify tension: mission outcomes determine whether contestants become “princes,” receiving luxury accommodations and meals, or “paupers,” continuing their journey under limited conditions despite traveling to the same places.

In preview messaging, the production team frames the premise as a way to spotlight not just travel and glamour, but “real charm” and “unpredictable chemistry” that goes beyond what viewers might expect from the cast’s onstage personas. The director, Lee Tae Kyung—credited with work on Amazing Saturday, HyeMiLeeYeChaePa, and Salon De Idol—is described as a key reason the show may capture natural interactions among the participants.

All or Nothing premieres July 27 at 11:15 p.m. KST and will also be available on Disney+.

What to watch next

Taken together, the three announcements point to a familiar summer strategy across streaming and variety formats: supernatural hooks for broad binge appeal (The East Palace), relationship-forward emotional stakes for daytime-to-evening retention (Love on the Menu), and format-driven, idol-powered entertainment designed for clip-friendly discussion (All or Nothing).

As premiere dates approach, viewers can expect the next wave of marketing to focus on different questions for each show: whether The East Palace turns ghost lore into character-driven suspense, how Love on the Menu resolves the gap between loneliness and comfort through its romance plot, and whether All or Nothing delivers the chemistry and tension implied by its “prince vs. pauper” structure. With both Netflix and Disney+ clearly prioritizing high-turnout summer releases, the next previews could determine which narrative—curse, comfort, or competition—captures the largest share of attention.