Kim Ji Won Transforms into Brilliant Surgeon in SBS Fri-Sat Medical Drama Doctor X: Mafia in White
Summer of 2026 was pretty meh for me in terms of K-dramas but fall is here and there a a few I’m curious to check out. One of them arrives this week with SBS premiering medical series Doctor X: Mafia in White in the Fri-Sat time slot. This is basically a Kim Ji Won drama with her playing the role of a brilliant rule breaking surgeon who saves lives in difficult cases and also goes up against hospital corruption. This is her first drama in two years since hit drama Queen of Tears in 2024 which for some viewers may not be a drama one wants to rewatch anymore due to her male lead. But this drama she gets to break out of the rich bitch role and go for the outsider upends the hierarchy set up.
Doctor X:
No mention of the fact that it’s a remake of a Japanese original?
Sorry, the clip shows she has not own this character. It is very hard when the original is just prefect.
The casts are great… but she is the weak link in this drama. Her character is not shining. No need to be another Michiko Daimon, she can curve her own but currently, her character is too bland.
Is this her 2nd role as a doctor? I seem to remember she was a soldier-doctor too in Descendants of the Sun.
She doesn’t have the aura of Yonekura Ryoko’s Michiko Daimon. I’ll just wait for reviews before tuning in. Japan’s Doctor X is one of my favorite series.
She doesn’t need to have aura of another person.
Korean version is different, which production studio expressed
Since the level of artistic values of the South Koreans is higher than that of the Japanese, I hope that the incoherent and repetitive aspects of the original Doctor X have been corrected, which should be more important than the supposed aura that I can’t see in Ryoko Yonekura, since she always kept the same stoic expression. LOL. There is no range.
Cinematography and sensitivities regarding the medical system could also improve.
Didn’t expect comments to be negative even before at least 1st episode release lol.
But what can I expect, I remember this site was full of people shading Kim Ji Won back then. From kim soo hyun fans commented how he “outshined” Kim Ji Won in QOT, to fans of other actresses downgrading Kim Ji Won just by the fact she didn’t had female centric dramas. And get all credits in her dramas to male leads, literally saying her dramas were popular thanks to male co-stars.
No much her fans for sure here.
But I can’t understand comparison to actress from Japan original. Just by trailer you can see how different their characters are: Kim Ji Won’s version doesn’t wear heels at all and has tomboy style, while Japanese character wore heels constantly and it was part of her character, she looked more like “femme fatale” or “bossy” character.
Yet try to talk about someone’s acting by at least watching 1st episode and not comparing them to others, but watching show on it’s own.
I saw news the ratings for episode one went up the ceiling. I hope it continues Til the end. And be a slap on the faces of haters. I love jiwon.
Episode 1 of Doctor X just got the highest premiere ratings for any miniseries broadcast in 2026 in Korea
So much for “it’s only because of her male costar” lol
We love to see Kim Jiwon succeed <3