Kim Ji-won faces ethical dilemma as Kim Seung-hyo's crimes are exposed

In the 11th episode of SBS drama 'Doctor X: Age of the White Mafia' aired on the 13th, Gye Su-jeong faces a conflict between medical ethics and the victims' suffering after Kim Seung-hyo is revealed to be a child sex offender. The revelation follows Kim Seung-hyo's arrival at Guseo University Hospital for a heart transplant.

The shocking dual nature of Kim Seung-hyo has finally been exposed. As the reality of his horrific crimes—child sexual abuse that shattered the lives of young victims hidden behind the mask of a respected medical professional—comes to light, the revenge plot of 'Doctor X: Age of the White Mafia' is reaching its climax. Kim Woo-seok poured out desperate anger, wanting to stop the perpetrator's heart, while Kim Ji-won fell into deep conflict between the ethics of a doctor who must save a heinous criminal and the suffering of the victims.

In the 11th episode of the SBS Friday-Saturday drama 'Doctor X: Age of the White Mafia' aired on the 13th, the shock felt by Jo Won-jin (Lee Jin-hee) upon learning about Kim Seung-hyo's (Jeon Gook-hwan) past crimes and the anguish of Gye Su-jeong (Kim Ji-won) were vividly portrayed. The suspicions that began in the 10th episode—when Kim Seung-hyo visited Guseo University Hospital for a heart transplant and designated his daughter Jo Won-jin as his guardian and Gye Su-jeong as the lead surgeon—led to this terrible truth in this broadcast.

The gravity of the situation was foreshadowed by Park Tae-gyeong (Kim Woo-seok) attempting to suffocate the sleeping Kim Seung-hyo with a pillow, while Jo Won-jin watched and Gye Su-jeong entered the room late to restrain Park Tae-gyeong. It was not merely a matter of personal grudge. All character relationships were shaken as it was revealed that Kim Seung-hyo was a child sex offender who had committed sexual violence against young children, including Park Tae-gyeong, under the pretext of "playing doctor."

Jo Won-jin expressed complex emotions upon finding Jang Hee-sook (Lee Jung-eun) lingering in front of Kim Seung-hyo's hospital room. She remarked, "Dr. Gye saved that person again. I just stood there watching," causing Jang Hee-sook to collapse on the spot upon hearing this. The past, where they could do nothing despite knowing Kim Seung-hyo's crimes, remained a deep wound for Jo Won-jin along with the victims' pain.

While checking Kim Seung-hyo's room, Jo Won-jin discovered Gye Su-jeong in an old volunteer group photo. At that moment, Park Tae-gyeong entered the room, and the startled Jo Won-jin hid. Park Tae-gyeong spoke to the sleeping Kim Seung-hyo, bringing up long-suppressed memories, saying, "I brought a sketchbook. I used to draw and practice writing with you, and you told me it was a secret so I should throw it away, but I couldn't throw it away and kept it hidden. I even drew us playing doctor."

The drawings brought out by Park Tae-gyeong depicted two people playing doctor while naked. These were traces of the crimes Kim Seung-hyo committed in his childhood by exploiting his status and trust as a doctor. Watching the scene, Jo Won-jin recalled the past tragedy: the memory of Na-gyeong, another victim of Kim Seung-hyo, attempting to take her own life after extreme suffering.

At the time, Jo Won-jin desperately tried to stop Na-gyeong from jumping from a railing. However, Na-gyeong screamed, "Why don't you believe me? I played doctor with your dad. Your mom later gave my mom money and said your dad was an angel. I'm so happy to see you again. Your dad is a monster," before finally jumping. To Jo Won-jin, who had believed her father was an angel, the victim's final words became an indelible nightmare.

The reason Park Tae-gyeong visited Guseo University Hospital despite graduating from a different university was also revealed. He stated, "I heard that if the donor surgery happens, they come here, so I came here. I wanted to ask something." For Park Tae-gyeong, who had waited for Kim Seung-hyo for a long time, the hospital was not just a place for treatment, but a place to face the perpetrator from his past. Seeing the peacefully sleeping Kim Seung-hyo, he was overcome by uncontrollable anger and eventually used a cushion to press against his face. Jo Won-jin could only watch the scene while weeping.

Sensing an unusual atmosphere from the expressions of Gye Su-jeong and Jo Won-jin, Park Tae-gyeong asked, "Are there really other children too?" The moment he realized that the pain he had endured believing he was the only victim had been repeated to more children, Park Tae-gyeong broke down once again. It was revealed that Kim Seung-hyo's crime was a collective tragedy that destroyed the lives of many victims beyond a single individual's memory.

Even more shocking was that Kim Seung-hyo did not stop his criminal nature despite his serious illness. Even while sick, he summoned young patients again, and witnessing this, Park Tae-gyeong wept while appealing to Gye Su-jeong, asking, "Can't you just let it fail this once?" It was a moment where the doctor's mission to save lives collided head-on with the victims' desperate demand that the perpetrator must not be saved.

For Gye Su-jeong, this surgery was not a simple medical procedure. She must face the death of Baraka, whom she could not save in the past, Kim Seung-hyo's crimes, and the cover-up by his followers. While she must uphold the principles of a doctor saving lives, she is pressured by the dilemma of not being able to ignore the possibility that Kim Seung-hyo might commit crimes again after receiving a new heart.

As the horrific past of child sexual abuse is exposed, the final battle of 'Doctor X' is heading toward even more brutal ethical questions. If saving the life of a perpetrator is a doctor's duty, to what extent must that duty be upheld in the face of the victims' suffering and the possibility of further crimes? With Park Tae-gyeong's sobbing, Jo Won-jin's shattered faith, and Gye Su-jeong's conflict intertwined, tension is peaking toward the final broadcast regarding the outcome of Kim Seung-hyo's heart transplant surgery.

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