"I cried" "Looked into Gwangju's history": Overseas viewer reactions to 'Doctor X' episode on the the 18th Gwangju Democratization Movement [K-EYES]

*This content was translated by AI.View Original

Episode 6 of SBS's Friday-Saturday drama "Doctor X: The Age of the White Mafia" (hereinafter "Doctor X"), starring actress Kim Ji-won, has been engulfed in controversy, with petitions calling for a broadcast halt emerging domestically over its depiction of the the 18th Gwangju Democratization Movement. Meanwhile, overseas viewers have continued to praise this episode.

In Episode 6, which aired on the 24th, protagonist Kye Su-jung (Kim Ji-won) took charge of operating on Oh Sang-bum (Ha Sung-gwang), a patient who sustained a gunshot wound to the head in Gwangju more than 40 years ago. Oh Sang-bum is a character who has suffered from seizures and auditory hallucinations his entire life due to bullet fragments that could not be removed with medical technology at the time. The episode included flashback scenes recreating Gwangju in 1980, as well as a scene of characters riding Bus No. 518 to the National the 18th Democratization Cemetery.

Shortly after the broadcast, a petition demanding the suspension of "Doctor X" was posted on the National Assembly's public consent petition site and surpassed the threshold of 100 signatures required for official review. The petitioner argued that while they do not deny the the 18th movement, it is difficult to accept the seemingly random use of the politically controversial aspects of the 18th in a drama. Lee Ok-gyu, Chief Producer (CP) at production company Studio S, posted the phrase "No fear" alongside a drama poster on social media on the day of the broadcast but did not add any further explanation.

The controversy has also reached overseas. The Hong Kong-based English-language newspaper South China Morning Post (SCMP) reported on the petition by citing domestic articles, explaining that "the Gwangju story is a setting absent from the Japanese original and represents an intentional creative choice by the Korean production team."

How did overseas viewers perceive Episode 6? Posts expressing being moved continued to appear on the KDRAMA board of online community Reddit and on X (formerly Twitter).

One viewer on Reddit wrote, "Episode 6 is the episode that elevated this somewhat entertaining drama into a great one," adding, "My heart ached from the flashback scenes of young Sang-bum." Other reactions included, "I started crying from the beginning of Episode 6. The child actor was amazing," and "I am currently sobbing uncontrollably. The story, the song, and the direction of the final scene gave me chills. It is one of the best dramas aired this year."

On X, posts such as "I cried while watching Episode 6. It was a heartbreaking episode" were accompanied by quotes from Sang-bum's lines about enduring by seeing his brother's phantom, with responses like "I am sobbing uncontrollably because of this episode." A viewer from Thailand empathized, saying, "I can understand why Sang-bum endured the pain and refused treatment. Being able to see his brother must have been the strength that kept him going."

Viewers who studied unfamiliar modern Korean history also emerged. One Reddit user stated, "I looked up and read about the Gwangju Democratization Movement to understand this episode," and posts asking about and explaining the historical background of Gwangju continued on the board.

Indian media outlet India.com gave Episode 6 four out of five stars, reviewing that "Kim Ji-won delivered a powerful performance through a story of trauma and guilt." It further noted, "Sang-bum's emotional pain adds weight to the narrative, ensuring the surgery is not used merely as a backdrop for power struggles within the hospital."

Reactions from overseas users who learned about the domestic petition were also observed. A user in the French-speaking community stated, "Netflix releases this series worldwide. Even if Korea can no longer watch it, we have no obligation to follow Korea," while a user in the Spanish-speaking community pushed back, saying, "Do you not understand the word fiction? If you don't like it, just don't watch it." An Arabic-language post also mentioned the KBS drama "Youth of May" (2021), which dealt with Gwangju, stating, "There was no criticism for that drama, and it was successful."

On the other hand, a user in the Chinese-speaking community commented, "It is truly bold to directly address the Gwangju incident in Episode 6. Korea will not stay silent," adding, "Medical dramas should focus only on medicine." Some viewers also expressed dissatisfaction with the work itself, stating, "Episode 6 seems like filler content."

According to Netflix, "Doctor X" ranked second in the global top 10 non-English shows category with 5.8 million views from the 19th to the 25th. Following two consecutive weeks at number one, it has remained in the top tier for a third week. Domestic viewership also set its own record high, reaching 19.5% for Episode 6 based on Nielsen Korea data.

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*This content was translated by AI.View Original