‘Doctor X’ exits with 15.2% viewership… Kim Ji-won rejects Son Hyun-joo’s recruitment offer in finale [Comprehensive]

*This content was translated by AI.View Original

‘Doctor X: The Age of the White Mafia’ concluded with a viewership rating in the mid-teens.

According to Nielsen Korea, the final episode of ‘Doctor X: The Age of the White Mafia’ (produced by Studio S, Studio Dragon, and High Jeum Studio; hereinafter ‘Doctor X’), which aired on the 14th, recorded a peak viewership rating of 17.3%, a nationwide rating of 15.2%, and a metropolitan area rating of 14.5%.

In this episode, Gye Su-jung (played by Kim Ji-won) performed surgery on the grotesque demon Kim Seung-hyo (played by Jeon Guk-hwan), making her final choice between avenging the sacrificed children and fulfilling her sense of duty as a doctor. The story also depicted characters meeting new beginnings in their respective positions, leaving a profound aftertaste.

As Gye Su-jung performed a heart transplant surgery on Kim Seung-hyo, a tense situation unfolded. When Jang Hee-sook (played by Lee Jeong-eun) brought Nima (played by Bomi Sheriff) to change Gye Su-jung’s mind, her sincerity was conveyed, and Gye Su-jung ultimately did not carry out her planned action. Instead, she successfully completed the heart transplant surgery on Kim Seung-hyo together with Jo Won-jin (played by Lee Jin-hee).

However, an unexpected fact was revealed after the surgery ended. Despite Gye Su-jung and Jo Won-jin returning ‘Flumazenil’ (a drug that reverses the effects of specific sedatives to wake a patient) without using it, Kim Seung-hyo had experienced awakening during the procedure. In response, Jo Won-jin asked Gye Su-jung, “Do you believe in God?” and suggested that God may have intervened on her behalf so she would not abandon her responsibility as a doctor. The situation, in which Kim Seung-hyo was made to face his punishment without Gye Su-jung directly harming him, left a heavy impression.

Towards the end of the broadcast, characters were shown facing new days through their respective choices. Jang Hee-sook expressed her intention to return to Lagota, and Jo Won-jin decided to resign. Park Tae-kyung (played by Kim Woo-seok) chose the Department of Emergency Medicine where Kim Seong-jin (played by Heo Jun-seok) works, marking a new beginning. Bu Seung-gwon (played by Son Hyun-joo) formally proposed recruiting Gye Su-jung, but instead of responding with a handshake, Gye Su-jon lightly nodded and walked away alone. Watching this, Jang Hee-sook cheered, “Yes, that’s you. Go, Gye Su-jung,” and the ending was marked by Gye Su-jung confidently moving forward.

In this way, ‘Doctor X’ left a deep aftertaste by depicting Gye Su-jung’s steadfast belief in life, the growth of its characters, and their respective new beginnings. Here are the meaningful achievements left by ‘Doctor X’.

◆ Success in buzz, viewership, and global hit status

‘Doctor X’ swept all indicators of viewership, buzz, and global success, maintaining an unstoppable upward trend from its first broadcast. It recorded a peak viewership rating of 12.9% and a nationwide rating of 11.4% in its debut, breaking the double-digit barrier and marking the highest first-episode viewership among mini-series aired in 2026, signaling a historic start. Subsequently, it reached a peak viewership rating of 21.3% and a nationwide rating of 19.5% by the sixth episode, entering the top five for the highest-rated SBS Friday-Saturday dramas in history. It also firmly maintained its position as number one in weekly integrated viewership for six consecutive weeks, continuing an overwhelming hit trend across all episodes.

The buzz was equally hot. In the survey “Favorite Broadcast Video Programs of 2026” released by Korea Gallup, it ranked first overall. It rose to number one in the Netflix Global Non-English TV Show category just three days after its release and maintained a top-five position for five consecutive weeks amid the onslaught of new global releases. By securing domestic viewership and buzz as well as global success, it completed the so-called ‘Doctor X syndrome’ (based on Nielsen Korea, Korea Gallup, and Tooom data).

◆ Breaking the grammar of existing medical dramas

‘Doctor X’ went a step beyond the romance within hospitals and one-dimensional humanism that existing medical dramas had followed, boldly cutting into the conflicts and injustices surrounding the hospital as an organization. In particular, it did not ignore the irrationalities and contradictions likely to be encountered in reality but wove them into the story, throwing out weighty questions. It provided differentiated entertainment by unraveling these issues through the genre color of medical noir. The activities of Gye Su-jung, a ‘medical dark hero’ who does not compromise with injustice and stands up for patients’ lives solely with her outstanding surgical skills, added refreshing satisfaction and thrilling catharsis to the tense story.

By adding genre imagination to its sharp gaze at reality and combining weighty messages with popular genre pleasure, ‘Doctor X’ completed a new form of medical noir differentiated from existing medical dramas, leaving a courageous footprint.

◆ Kim Ji-won sets a new record for career-defining character

Kim Ji-won portrayed Gye Su-jung, a genius surgeon who knows no failure or compromise, radiating an irreplaceable presence. Her charisma in standing against power and injustice within the hospital solely with her overwhelming surgical skills, along with her delivery of lines that strike at the heart of injustice with a lowered voice and clear diction, provided refreshing catharsis. Kim Ji-won convincingly depicted Gye Su-jung’s growth from an attitude of trying to bear everything alone to joining hands with colleagues to gather strength, while maintaining her firm belief in prioritizing patients’ lives, thereby maximizing the multidimensionality of the character. With deep acting depth and delicate expression, Kim Ji-won created another career-defining character, making viewers around the world ‘Gye-obsessed’ (a play on words meaning hooked on Gye Su-jung) and completing a new face for the ‘medical dark hero’.

◆ The birth of the ‘Guseoda Avengers,’ leading to a barrage of praise

The passionate performances of trusted actors, including Lee Jeong-eun, Son Hyun-joo, Kim Woo-seok, Lee Jin-hee, Kim Young-min, Lee Seong-uk, Kwon Seung-woo, and Heo Jun-seok, led by Kim Ji-won, were also a core driving force that shone ‘Doctor X’. Jang Hee-sook, Gye Su-jung’s reliable mentor and pillar; Bu Seung-gwon, who struggles to protect the hospital; Park Tae-kyung, who grows alongside Gye Su-jung; and Jo Won-jin, who possesses cool judgment and a warm heart, along with Do Yun-sik, Bae Heung-gon, Ma Seong-gyu, and Kim Seong-jin, were characters with distinct personalities and backstories. They sometimes clashed and sometimes influenced each other, adding diverse fun to the drama.

In particular, the activities of the ‘Guseoda Avengers,’ who united beyond their respective interests to save a child’s life, brought both heartwarming emotion and thrilling catharsis. The solid acting depth and seamless chemistry of the actors, who convincingly depicted the narratives, relationships, and moments of emotion of these diverse characters, completed a fantastic synergy that further enhanced the immersion in the work.

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*This content was translated by AI.View Original