Kim Jiwon's 'Doctor X' Scores Big... Critique of Medical System; Episode 3 Tops 15%

Resonating with real-world concerns, including medical strikes
Japanese original reimagined through a Korean lens

SBS's Friday-Saturday drama "Doctor X" surpassed a 15% viewership rating after just three episodes.

The first episode of "Doctor X" recorded a nationwide rating of 11.4%, according to Nielsen Korea, the highest premiere rating among miniseries aired this year. Ratings then climbed to 14.9% and 15.1% for episodes 2 and 3, respectively. After airing on SBS as a Friday-Saturday drama, the series was released on Netflix and went straight to No. 1 among non-English shows on the streaming service's official Tudum site just three days after its release. With this latest achievement, production company Studio Dragon has produced a weekly No. 1 title in Netflix's global non-English shows category for five consecutive years, from 2022 through 2026.

Kim Jiwon is playing a doctor in SBS's Friday-Saturday drama "Doctor X: The Era of the White Mafia." Courtesy of SBS.

According to industry sources on October 17, SBS's Friday-Saturday drama "Doctor X: The Era of the White Mafia" ("Doctor X") is based on the Japanese TV Asahi drama "Doctor-X: Surgeon Michiko Daimon," which aired for seven seasons from 2012 to 2021. The series retains the basic premise of an exceptionally skilled outsider doctor taking on authority and abuses in the medical establishment, while reworking the story to reflect Korean realities and sensibilities. It has drawn attention for incorporating contentious issues in Korea's medical sector, including mandatory CCTV installations in operating rooms and strikes opposing an increase in medical school enrollment.

Gye Sujeong, played by actor Kim Jiwon, is a genius doctor who trusts only her own skills. Refusing to be absorbed into the medical establishment's power structure, she skips not only rounds with the hospital director and professors but also conversations at staff dinners and social gatherings. She bluntly tells doctors who unquestioningly obey the hospital director's authority, "You irresponsible people. You really are pathetic." The series has been praised for succeeding with audiences by having Sujeong give voice to their frustration with the medical system.

In episode 3, Gye Sujeong (Kim Jiwon) performed a craniotomy to save Yeo Jeongsun (Shin Hyegyeong), a contract worker who cleaned the hospital and had collapsed from a brain hemorrhage. Medical staff objected, saying Sujeong was not a board-certified neurosurgeon, but she saved the patient with her exceptional surgical skills. She later rebuked the staff for putting the hospital's liability and reputation ahead of the patient's life.

However, since its broadcast, "Doctor X" has faced criticism from some viewers for portraying medical staff as incompetent villains and failing to adhere to medical accuracy. On October 13, a viewer who identified themself as an orthopedic surgeon said on social media that they had filed a request for review with the Korea Communications Standards Commission, arguing that "Doctor X" promotes misconceptions about the realities of medical practice. The viewer also shared an image of the filing confirmation. "It portrays rounds as unnecessary chores and reduces medical staff to incompetent villains," they said. "The show repeatedly turns a blind eye to the uncertainty inherent in medical practice."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.