Kim Ji-won's character prepares revenge against child sex offender in SBS drama

In the SBS drama 'Doctor X: Age of the White Mafia', Gye Su-jeong's past is revealed as she prepares to avenge the death of a child named Baraka, who died during a fire involving the criminal Kim Seung-hyo.

As 'Doctor X: Age of the White Mafia' (hereafter 'Doctor X') approaches its conclusion, the hidden past of Gye Su-jeong (Kim Ji-won) has finally been revealed. The narrative of revenge has entered a new phase as it uncovers why the genius surgeon Gye Su-jeong has been fighting against medical injustice and power, and the true nature of the monster she intends to destroy. The retribution of Gye Su-jeong against Kim Seung-hyo, who committed child sex crimes behind the mask of a respected doctor, is expected to begin in earnest.

In the SBS Friday-Saturday drama 'Doctor X' broadcast on the 13th, the past wounds and histories of characters including Gye Su-jeong (Kim Ji-won), Park Tae-gyeong (Kim Woo-seok), and Jo Won-jin (Lee Jin-hee) were revealed, centered around Kim Seung-hyo, who entered Guseo University Hospital in Korea to receive a heart transplant. In particular, the tragedy of Gye Su-jeong's time performing medical volunteer work abroad, which had previously only been presented through fragmentary clues, was specifically disclosed, bringing the core truth driving the current revenge drama to the surface.

Ahead of the surgical briefing, Bae Heung-gon (Lee Seong-uk) questioned the fact that Gye Su-jeong was personally designated as the lead surgeon for the heart transplant. He asked, "You said the heart transplant surgeon, Mr. Kim Seung-hyo, personally designated her? Gye Su-jeong. She did the first transplant," while Do Yun-sik (Kim Yeong-min) also expressed curiosity about her identity, asking, "No, just what on earth is Gye Su-jeong?" It was a moment that implied something exists between Gye Su-jeong and Kim Seung-hyo beyond a simple doctor-patient relationship.

Gye Su-jeong's past began with the famous medical organization White Wings. The founder of the organization, Kim Seung-hyo, was a respected doctor both domestically and internationally, and Gye Su-jeong participated in relief medical volunteer work through the introduction of her mentor and aunt, Jang Hui-suk (Lee Jung-eun). There, she met Baraka, a child who had lost his parents to government bombings and was wandering through civil war suffering from malnutrition. Gye Su-jeong cared deeply for Baraka, but behind the seemingly peaceful relief center, a terrible crime was being concealed.

The words spoken to Gye Su-jeong by Baraka and his younger sister Nima hinted at the reality of that tragedy. Baraka anxiously asked, "Is Baba (Kim Seung-hyo) a good person?" and Nima, in broken English, said, "Baraka butt, cream no no," and "Night, every day, to Baba. Not getting better." Recognizing the painful traces left on the children's bodies and language, Gye Su-jeong could not shake her suspicions toward Kim Seung-hyo.

Ultimately, Gye Su-jeong witnessed a shocking scene. Upon discovering that Baraka and Nima had disappeared one night, she searched the clinic for the children. Baraka was pouring oil in the hallway while shouting his sister's name, and Gye Su-jeong headed toward Kim Seung-hyo's room, recalling the words the children had said. There, she found a hidden box containing photos of naked children and the underwear of young girls. It was the trace of a filthy crime hidden behind the face of a respected medical professional.

The tragedy that occurred in the clinic amidst rising flames changed Gye Su-jeong's life completely. She dramatically rescued Nima from the flames, but Baraka, holding a lighter, pleaded tearfully to Kim Seung-hyo, "Don't make me set the fire, please. Just leave us alone." As Kim Seung-hyo approached Nima, who was by the door, Baraka finally threw the lighter. It was a moment where the child's desperate resistance and fear exploded amidst the flames.

An even more horrific scene occurred when Kim Seung-hyo's true nature was revealed. As Gye Su-jeong tried to save the fallen Baraka from the flames, Kim Seung-hyo grabbed her ankle and smirked while stabbing Gye Su-jeong's foot with scissors. Gye Su-jeong finally shook off Kim Seung-hyo and moved Baraka outside, but the child's heart had already stopped. The gruesome memory of that day became a lifelong scar for Gye Su-jeong and the starting point of her revenge against Kim Seung-hyo.

After the incident, Gye Su-jeong and Jang Hui-suk brought Nima to Korea to protect her. Kim Seung-hyo's followers remaining at the scene focused on erasing traces of the crime and concealing the incident, saying, "We have cleared everything that could cause concern. We are still looking for Nima." With the help of Yu Mi-gyeong (Kim Jung-young), Gye Su-jeong placed Nima in a foster home, but she could not escape the guilt of failing to protect Baraka. She even suffered through being captured by rebels after leaving for another medical volunteer site, and even after being rescued with the help of Jang Hui-suk and returning to Korea, she suffered so much that she refused to eat or drink.

What revived her was a letter sent by Nima. Through that letter, Gye Su-jeong finally regained her strength and subsequently headed to Guseo University. It was not merely a new medical site. It was also the place Park Tae-gyeong, who was sexually harassed by Kim Seung-hyo in the past, had been waiting for, saying, "My dad told me a long time ago that if a donor is found, they would come here for the transplant." For Gye Su-jeong and Park Tae-gyeong, Guseo University was the stage of revenge they had long prepared for to face the monster Kim Seung-hyo.

In her position as the surgeon who must save Kim Seung-hyo, Gye Su-jeong faced the contradiction she had to endure. She monologued, "I am trying to save that person again. That monster who buried Baraka's face in the flames and endured. That monster who took your words. I am trying to save him." She continued, "He will get a new heart like that, and look toward the children again, and his followers will cover for him. And one day, he will go peacefully, amidst respect and tears. That is too easy. That is too comfortable," expressing anger at the possibility that Kim Seung-hyo might once again end his life while hiding his crimes amidst social respect.

Gye Su-jeong's revenge goes beyond merely settling a personal grudge. Her determination, which seems to target the very structure of power and followers who ignored the children's pain and protected the criminal, aligns with the injustice of medical power constructed throughout 'Doctor X'. Between the professional ethics of a doctor saving lives in the operating room and the human anger of being unable to ignore the nightmares of the victims, Gye Su-jeong faces a moment of the most cruel choice.

A preview revealed a scene where Park Tae-gyeong screams at Gye Su-jeong, "You aren't going to be a doctor anymore!" As Gye Su-jeong faces Kim Seung-hyo's heart transplant surgery, the key point of interest for the final episode is what decision she will make and what significance that choice will hold between her convictions as a medical professional and the completion of her revenge. Viewers' attention is focused on how Kim Ji-won's Gye Su-jeong, finally facing the nightmares of the past, will punish the criminal hiding behind the mask of a respected doctor in the final showdown of 'Doctor X'.

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