“Doctor X” Lee Jung-eun’s identity revealed: She was Kim Ji-won’s mentor… Drama tops ratings in its time slot [Comprehensive]

*This content was translated by AI.View Original

In “Doctor X: The Age of the White Mafia” (hereinafter “Doctor X”), it was revealed that Lee Jung-eun is actually Kim Ji-won’s mentor.

According to Nielsen Korea, ratings data for the ninth episode of SBS’ Friday-Saturday drama “Doctor X,” which aired on the 6th, showed a peak viewership rating of 16.6% and an average of 15.3% nationwide and in the metropolitan area. The episode not only ranked first in its time slot but also secured the top spot among all programs across all channels for the fifth consecutive week. Ratings among the 2049 demographic peaked at 5.86%, with an average of 5.3%.

The ninth episode depicted Gye Su-jung (played by Kim Ji-won) attempting a surreal, unprecedented surgery to save Lee Hyun-ah (played by Lee Chae-yu), an eight-year-old leukemia patient. Despite universal opposition, Gye Su-jung prepared for the surgery alone. Do Yun-sik (played by Kim Young-min), who made the decision to assist her, and Jang Hee-sook (played by Lee Jung-eun) also joined in the operating room.

Bu Seung-gwon (played by Son Hyun-ju) expressed his doubts by asking Jang Hee-sook, “Is Gye Su-jung Doctor X?” Jang Hee-sook replied, “If a doctor who prioritizes a patient’s life and safety above all else and gives their best to every assigned surgery is Doctor X, then Gye Su-jung is indeed Doctor X.” She then delivered a sharp rebuke to Bu Seung-gwon for his suspicion of Gye Su-jung, who was struggling to save the patient. Furthermore, she casually pressured him by seeing through the fact that he suffered from glaucoma.

However, Bu Seung-gwon did not back down. He stated that he considered Doctor X to be a doctor who challenges dangerous surgeries with unestablished methods, and an arrogant hand of God that weighs lives against skill. In that sense, he asserted that Gye Su-jung was indeed Doctor X.

Gye Su-jung had accepted Bu Seung-gwon’s proposal to expand the scope of their contract if she could successfully perform Yoo Ga-eul’s (played by Ki So-yu) surgery within six hours. She once again proved her skill by perfectly completing the surgery in just five hours and 20 minutes using “solo surgery.” As soon as the procedure ended, Gye Su-jung began contemplating how to save eight-year-old leukemia patient Lee Hyun-ah. The rare tumor had invaded major blood vessels and multiple organs. Doctors at Guseodaehospital, as well as members of the Yongyaksuo team, shook their heads, saying there was no way to perform the surgery.

But Gye Su-jung did not give up. She conceived of “abdominal multi-organ ex-vivo tumor resection and autotransplantation,” the only surgical method capable of saving Lee Hyun-ah. This ultra-high-difficulty procedure involved removing all six organs invaded by the tumor from the body, excising the tumors individually, and then reimplanting them. However, it was a surgery that could absolutely not be completed alone. Even for Gye Su-jung, who boasted godlike surgical technique and overwhelming speed, the child’s endurance time was limited, requiring multiple surgeons to operate simultaneously to shorten the duration.

Gye Su-jung tried to persuade medical staff at a surgical conference, but they all expressed reluctance, calling it an impossible surgery. Bu Seung-gwon also strongly opposed it, citing the high risk and uncertain success rate of the procedure. Ultimately, Gye Su-jung bowed 90 degrees to everyone and earnestly requested their help with “I beg you.” Yet no medical staff volunteered to join the surgery. Bu Seung-gwon refused her request, stating that he could not permit the surgery until the approval process for the new surgical method by the IRB (Institutional Review Board) was completed.

With everyone turning their backs on her, Gye Su-jung resolved once again to perform “solo surgery.” Jo Won-jin (played by Lee Jin-hee) stepped forward to help, saying, “You never fail, do you? I never give up.” Gye Su-jung repeatedly ran surgical simulations but fell into deep thought, as she could hardly shorten the time alone.

Amidst this, Lee Hyun-ah, who was about to undergo surgery, visited Gye Su-jung to express her gratitude and calmly said, “I might not wake up,” leaving viewers with a heavy heart. In response, Gye Su-jung looked into the child’s eyes and promised, “That won’t happen. Hyun-ah. I never fail.” Subsequently, Gye Su-jung was seen repeating to herself, “I never fail,” revealing her firm resolve to protect the young life and leaving a deep impression.

Jang Hee-sook tried to dissuade Gye Su-jung, even mentioning the possibility of dismissal. However, when Lee Hyun-ah’s condition rapidly deteriorated, Gye Su-jung decided to proceed with the surgery after submitting her resignation to Yongyaksuo. She began the surgery with the help of Jo Won-jin and Park Tae-kyung (played by Kim Woo-seok).

At the same time, a vote was being held in the hospital’s conference hall during an emergency meeting to decide whether residents would submit their resignations. Do Yun-sik, who attended the meeting, was anxious about Lee Hyun-ah’s surgery and could not sit still. Eventually, he stormed out of the conference hall and joined the operating room.

However, the operating room faced a major crisis. The patient’s blood pressure dropped sharply, placing her in a precarious situation where brain damage was a concern. At that critical moment when additional personnel were desperately needed, the operating room door opened, and Jang Hee-sook entered wearing full surgical attire. As she said, “I am Jang Hee-sook, a surgeon,” and joined the surgery without hesitation, Gye Su-jung introduced her with a look of respect, saying, “She is my mentor,” shocking everyone.

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*This content was translated by AI.View Original