'Severe Trauma Center' Lee Nak-jun: "Achieved Triple Pay as a 'Pay Doctor' Before Going Full-Time as a Writer" [Malja Show]

*This content was translated by AI.

Writer Lee Nak-jun revealed the success story of leaving his medical career to become a full-time writer.

In an episode of KBS 2TV's 'Malja Show' aired on the 24th, Lee Nak-jun, the original web novel author of the Netflix original series 'Severe Trauma Center' and former otolaryngologist specialist, appeared as a guest.

On that day, when an audience member shared their dilemma about having changed jobs seven times, writer Lee empathized deeply, saying, "I also wandered aimlessly because I didn't know what I truly wanted to do." He further encouraged the viewer by adding, "In fact, you can't know if something is really what you want until you try it yourself. So, attempting to change jobs seven times isn't necessarily a bad thing."

However, he also offered practical advice. The writer noted, "One trap is that realistically, it's very difficult to feel 'this job suits me perfectly' or 'it's so fun and great' when doing any work." He added, "If you let go of some illusions about your career, making future choices will be much easier."

He also revealed the decisive factor that led him from a stable medical profession to pursuing a full-time writing career.

Writer Lee Nak-jun surprised viewers by stating, "I decided to go full-time not when 'Severe Trauma Center' became a hit, but during the time my previous work was actually failing." He recalled bitterly, "At that time, my daily sales were only 20,000 won, meaning I earned just 10,000 won. As a father in his mid-30s with two children, earning 10,000 won a day as a side job was practically something one shouldn't do."

But he did not give up. The writer shared, "For two years, I serialized over 500 chapters and suddenly realized, 'Even though my writing isn't selling well, the process of writing itself doesn't feel hard. I must truly love writing.' I firmly resolved to survive as a writer no matter what."

His earnestness eventually led to the success of 'Severe Trauma Center'. The writer confessed, "Writers are complete freelancers and even more unstable than contract workers. At that time, I worked only three days a week as a 'Pay Doctor,' so my monthly income wasn't high. I had set a personal plan: 'If I earn two or three times what a doctor makes, I'll go full-time.' Fortunately, 'Severe Trauma Center' helped me achieve that goal, allowing me to safely transition into becoming a full-time writer."

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*This content was translated by AI.