Kim Ji Won is back on TV after her breakout success with the 2024 drama Queen of Tears. This time, she takes on a very different role as a brilliant surgeon who refuses to bow to authority when patients and medical ethics are at stake.
Her latest SBS drama “Doctor X: Mafia in White” (written by Pyun Sung Geun, directed by Lee Jung Rim) debuted on October 9 and instantly won over viewers. It recorded double-digit viewership ratings from its very first episode.
According to Nielsen Korea, the first episode achieved a nationwide average rating of 11.4% and a metropolitan area rating of 11.2%. The viewership peaked at an impressive 12.9% during the broadcast.
This figure marks the highest premiere rating among all miniseries aired in 2026 so far. It also finished first among all Friday programs and was the most-watched show of the entire week in the key 20-49 age bracket, averaging 3.7% and reaching as high as 4.3%. Notably, these numbers surpass the premiere ratings of other successful 2026 dramas, including “Agent Kim Reactivated,” which debuted with 9.5%.
About Doctor X: Mafia in White
“Doctor X: Mafia in White” is a Korean adaptation of the popular Japanese drama series “Doctor-X: Surgeon Michiko Daimon.” Director Lee Jung Rim explained that they respected the original’s compelling premise and energy. However, the Korean version was reinterpreted “emotionally so Korean viewers could easily connect with it.”
The drama is described as a “cathartic medical noir.” It joins SBS’s lineage of cathartic dramas like “Taxi Driver” and “The Fiery Priest,” the network’s first medical entry in that universe.
The Plot: A Genius Surgeon Takes on a Corrupt System
Kim Ji Won stars as Gye Su Jeong, a freelance genius surgeon known as the “crazy Gye of the operating room.” She is sent from a medical recruitment agency to the massive Guseo University Hospital to fill a shortage in the surgery department.
What makes Gye Su Jeong unique is her absolute refusal to conform. She consistently responds with “I will not do that” to unreasonable demands such as hospital rounds, company dinners, ghostwriting research papers, and overtime shifts. As she puts it in a preview clip, she despises “people who only studied just to make good money and get ahead.” Also, Gaye hates “complacent people who know full well how much a patient will suffer, yet only think about how to sweep it under the rug.”
Relying solely on her overwhelming surgical skills, she sets out to dismantle the “white mafia.” It is a powerful cartel of corrupt doctors controlling the hospital.
In the premiere episode, viewers witnessed Gye Su Jeong’s arrival at Guseo University Hospital and her immediate impact. The episode showed her god-like surgical skills in action.
The episode also hinted at a mysterious backstory. Glimpses of scenes in a tense war zone and the shocking revelation that “a patient she operated on died after two months” have amplified curiosity about her hidden past.
Kim Ji Won leads a stellar cast that adds depth and tension to the narrative. She is joined by Lee Jung Eun as Jang Hee Sook, the head of the physician staffing agency who shares a deep bond with Gye Su Jeong and ignites a special “womance” chemistry.
Son Hyun Joo portrays Boo Seung Kwon, the hospital’s director who is working to save the institution in crisis. Kim Woo Seok portrays Park Tae Kyung, an intern whose professional life becomes increasingly complicated after meeting Gye Su Jeong.
A Career Milestone for Kim Ji Won
This project marks a major image change for Kim Ji Won. After the massive success of “Queen of Tears,” she was drawn to the challenge of playing a title character in a medical drama, a genre often dominated by male leads.
Regarding her physical transformation, Kim Ji Won shared, “I tried a rough short bob hairstyle and stripped away as much of the glamorous external styling seen in my previous work as possible.”
Kim expressed her aspirations boldly: “I took courage thinking, ‘When will I ever get to play such an attractive title role again?’” She added, “I prepared diligently with the thought that it would be the greatest honor if I could leave behind one great medical project in my acting career.”
Where to Watch
“Doctor X: Mafia in White” airs on SBS every Friday and Saturday at 9:50 PM KST. International viewers can stream it on Netflix. The drama is set for a 12-episode run.
