The Korean drama Doctor X, starring Kim Ji Won, has sparked controversy following the airing of its latest episode. Several Korean netizens have petitioned the National Assembly to have the medical-crime drama removed from the air.
Doctor X follows Kim Ji Won as the "mad dog of the operating room." Her character, Gye Soo Jung, becomes a genius surgeon in a hospital riddled with corruption and power struggles. The storyline is adapted from the popular Japanese series of the same name.
After the sixth episode aired, Doctor X achieved its highest rating of 19.5%. However, the episode sparked controversy among Korean netizens. One of its scenes depicted the historic May 18th Democratic Uprising.
In the eighth episode, Kim Ji Won's character is shown volunteering to operate on a patient. The patient, Oh Sang Beom, has lived for 46 years with a head wound and bullet fragments lodged in his brain since an incident in May 1980.
The depiction of patients who were victims of the May 18th Democratic Uprising in Doctor X immediately sparked debate among Korean netizens. Some viewers criticized the medical drama for its overly political interpretation.
Others defended it, saying the victims' suffering was portrayed naturally, reflecting the responsibility of the medical staff. This is because another character, Ji Du Seok, appears, portrayed as the former president of South Korea.
He is depicted as a former dictator who once ordered military troops to open fire on civilians. Episode six of Doctor X shows Ji Du Seok being rushed to the hospital after being found unconscious.
Ji Du Seok's character appears when Gye Soo Jung (played by Kim Ji Won) is caring for Oh Sang Beom. His appearance almost causes management to try to evict Oh Sang Beom to free up the VIP floor for the former president.
According to a ChosunBiz report on Sunday (October 25, 2026), the National Assembly's electronic petition signed by viewers of the Korean drama Doctor X has garnered over 100 supporters. The petitioners are demanding that the production team of Doctor X immediately stop broadcasting it.
"The story about the victims of the May 18th incident, which is not related to the main storyline, appears prominently and causes irritation among many viewers," reads the petition filed regarding the scene in the Korean drama Doctor X.
Amidst the sensational controversy, Kim Ji Won successfully held a two-day fan meeting on Saturday (October 24, 2026) and Sunday (October 25, 2026) at the main auditorium of Seongsin Women's University.
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