Kim Ji Won is returning to the small screen after a two-year break, and her new role is a complete departure from what fans last saw her in. The Queen of Tears star is headlining SBS‘s upcoming medical noir drama Doctor X: Mafia in White, where she plays a genius surgeon who is razor-sharp in the operating room but wonderfully odd everywhere else.
The drama is set to premiere on Friday, October 9, 2026, at 9:50 p.m. KST, and will be available for streaming on Netflix for global audiences the same day.
What Makes Gye Soo Jung Different
Kim Ji Won plays Gye Soo Jung, a freelance surgeon dispatched through a medical staffing agency to fill a shortage at Guseo University Hospital. She is known as the “crazy Kye of the operating room” and is a force of nature when she steps into surgery. Her skill is unmatched, and she refuses to tolerate failure or compromise.
What sets her apart is the contrast in her personality. Inside the operating room, she is overwhelming, focused, and borderline divine in her abilities. Outside it, she is described as eccentric yet down-to-earth. That split between a fierce medical professional and a quirky human being is at the heart of the character.
Director Lee Jung Rim praised Kim Ji Won for pulling off this duality. “Kim Ji Won convincingly moved between the stark contrast in Gye Soo Jung‘s character—her overwhelming presence in the operating room and her eccentric, human side outside it,” the director said. “It was difficult to imagine anyone other than Kim Ji Won as Gye Soo Jung. In the surgical scenes, the doctors who served as on-set medical advisers even applauded.”
Also Read: Doctor X: Age of the White Mafia Teaser Out: Kim Ji Won Is a Surgeon Who “Objects”
Kim Ji Won Learned Real Surgical Techniques
Taking on a doctor role for the first time, Kim Ji Won put in serious work to make her performance believable. She learned surgical techniques from medical advisers and spent enough time practicing to feel comfortable with the movements required in operating-room scenes.
“I learned the surgical techniques needed for the operating-room scenes from the medical adviser and took sufficient time to become familiar with them,” Kim Ji Won said.
The effort paid off. On-set medical professionals who advised during filming were impressed enough to applaud during her surgery scenes.
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A Fiery First Episode Preview
SBS released a preview clip from Episode 1 on September 28, and it shows Kim Ji Won‘s character holding nothing back. In the clip, Gye Soo Jung confronts corrupt doctors at the hospital with brutal honesty.
“I hate people like you. People who only studied just to make good money and get ahead. People who are foolishly smart without a single thought for ethics or convictions,” she says in the preview.
She continues: “Complacent people who know full well how much a patient will suffer, yet only think about how to sweep it under the rug when lives are on the line.”
Then comes the line that has fans talking: “People who are merely doctors in title alone. Hey, you guys are seriously pathetic.”
The moment is made even better when she coolly packs her bag and walks out the door the exact second the clock strikes 6:00 p.m., leaving the furious doctors behind.
A Star-Studded Cast Around Her
Kim Ji Won is not carrying this drama alone. The cast includes Lee Jung Eun, who plays Jang Hee Sook, the head of the medical staffing agency that dispatches Gye Soo Jung. Lee Jung Eun is known globally for her role in Parasite and has spoken warmly about working with Kim Ji Won.
“Whenever I made eye contact and acted with Kim Ji Won on set, I felt the emotional lines naturally come together,” Lee Jung Eun said. “I thought, ‘As expected, she’s an actress with tremendous depth.’”
Son Hyun Joo plays Bu Seung Kwon, the director of the Guseo University Hospital branch. Kim Woo Seok takes on the role of Park Tae Kyung, a “silver spoon” intern who becomes a reluctant mentee to Gye Soo Jung.
The supporting cast includes Lee Jin Hee, Kim Young Min, Lee Sung Wook, Kwon Seung Woo, Heo Jun Seok, Kim Young Ah, Kim Jung Young, Choi Deok Hoon, and Choi Kwang Il.
Where Fans Can Watch
Doctor X: Mafia in White premieres on SBS in Korea on October 9 at 9:50 p.m. KST. The drama will air new episodes every Friday and Saturday.
For viewers outside Korea, Netflix will stream the drama globally starting the same day. Indian viewers can also watch it on Netflix from October 9, with episodes arriving alongside the Korean broadcast. Audiences in the USA, UK, Canada, and Australia can access the show through Netflix as well.
The drama is a Korean adaptation of the hit Japanese series Doctor X, which originally aired on TV Asahi. The Korean version is directed by Lee Jung Rim, whose previous works include VIP and Revenant, with a script by writer Pyun Sung Geun.
Behind-The-Scenes Chemistry
SBS also released a making-of teaser showing the cast’s lighter moments between takes. Despite the intense nature of the drama, Kim Ji Won was all smiles off camera, sharing hugs and playful dances with Lee Jung Eun on set.
Kim Woo Seok was also seen giving a confident thumbs up during filming, hinting at a lively atmosphere behind the scenes.
What Fans Are Saying
Fan reactions on social media have been filled with excitement. One fan wrote on X: “Finally!!! The long wait is over the most anticipated Doctor X: Age of White Mafia is coming. I really can’t wait for Doctor Gye Soo-jung.” Another commented: “Finally, actress Kim Ji-won is soooo back! Let’s go Team Doctor X!”
Kim Ji Won‘s last small-screen appearance was in Queen of Tears in 2024, where she played the chaebol heiress Hong Hae In. That role earned her global recognition and made her one of the most sought-after actresses in Korean entertainment.
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