Kim Ji-won's Next Hit: 'Doctor X' Reaches Peak 17.4% in Just 2 Episodes

Actress Kim Ji-won is showing signs of proving her box-office power once again. The SBS Friday-Saturday drama 'Doctor X: Era of the White Mafia' (hereafter 'Doctor X'), in which she plays the lead role, recorded a peak viewership rating of 17.4% in just two episodes, rising to first place among Saturday mini-series. The unstoppable activities of a genius surgeon, the power struggles within the hospital, and the mystery surrounding the protagonist are intertwining to capture viewers' attention from the very beginning.

According to Nielsen Korea, a viewership rating institution, the 2nd episode of 'Doctor X' broadcast on the 10th recorded a 14.9% rating nationwide and 14.7% in the metropolitan area. The peak instantaneous rating soared to 17.4%. It took the top spot not only in its time slot but also among all mini-series broadcast on Saturdays. The viewership for the 20–49 age group, which is used as a key indicator for advertisers, also recorded an average of 4.6% and a peak of 5.4%, showing the highest figures among all programs aired during the week.

At the center of the early success is the surgeon Gye Su-jeong, played by Kim Ji-won. True to her nickname 'Crazy Gye of the Operating Room,' she directly confronts the order of Guseo University Hospital, which prioritizes status and power over patients' lives. She brazenly takes away a VIP patient's wheelchair to move an emergency patient and openly points out the incompetence of the surgical department head Do Yun-sik (played by Kim Yeong-min) in front of fellow doctors. The character's personality, prioritizing patients' lives over organizational hierarchy, is clearly revealed from the start.

Gye Su-jeong's actions cannot be viewed simply as the deviations of a rough and prickly genius doctor. While a patient's life should be equally important to everyone in the space of a hospital, the drama raises uncomfortable questions as, in reality, medical attention and resources can vary depending on economic power and social status. 'Doctor X' pits the hospital's priorities surrounding VIP patients against Gye Su-jeong's rebellion, turning the power structure of the medical field into dramatic conflict.

The highlight of this episode was the series of surgery scenes. Do Yun-sik discovers that a VIP patient's tumor has spread wider than expected and attempts to give up on the surgery. At that moment, Hospital Director Bu Seung-gwon (played by Son Hyun-joo) calls for Gye Su-jeong, who was performing another surgery. Gye Su-jeong completes a surgery expected to take 3 to 4 hours in just 1 hour, and then takes on the VIP patient's surgery, saving both patients in a total of 6 hours and 30 minutes. Her overwhelming skill and judgment, shining in crisis situations, pushed the tension of the drama to its peak.

Kim Ji-won expresses Gye Su-jeong's extraordinary nature with a cold expression and decisive actions. As the characteristics of a character who competes with skill in front of patients and does not back down in the face of authority become distinct, it adds speed and individuality to the narrative of genius doctors that has been repeated in existing medical dramas. In particular, as her professionalism in the operating room and her rebellious attitude toward the hospital organization are highlighted simultaneously, expectations are high that the character's charm will be further brought to life.

At the end of the episode, the story entered a new phase as suspicions regarding Gye Su-jeong's past were raised. In an article stating that a patient of a doctor named 'Doctor X' who used the same surgical method died two months after surgery, Gye Su-jeong's face was captured. As unexpected questions follow the protagonist, who is described as having an excellent ability to save patients, viewers cannot help but wonder what kind of past she is hiding.

Looking at the early viewership ratings and the development of the story, 'Doctor X' does not stop at merely showing the protagonist's unrivaled abilities, but is sequentially building up the absurdities within the hospital and the mystery surrounding the character's past. However, high viewership in just two episodes does not guarantee long-term success. The key will be how convincingly Gye Su-jeong's past and the power structure within the hospital are resolved, and whether the drama can continue the tension of the surgery scenes while deeply portraying the character's inner self.

Through 'Doctor X,' Kim Ji-won has once again put both a powerful character and her box-office potential on the test. The early performance of a peak 17.4% is certainly encouraging. As a mystery that stimulates viewers' curiosity has been added, attention is focused on whether the upward trend in viewership can continue as Gye Su-jeong faces the truth of her hidden past.

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