[Edaily Starin YUN GI BACK Reporter] Actress Kim Ji-won’s transformation into a “medical dark hero” was a hit right from the first episode. “Doctor X: The Age of the White Mafia” debuted with double-digit viewership ratings, recording the highest premiere ratings among miniseries aired this year.

According to Nielsen Korea on the 10th, the first episode of the SBS Friday-Saturday drama “Doctor X: The Age of the White Mafia,” which aired on the 9th, recorded a nationwide rating of 11.4%, an 11.2% rating in the Seoul metropolitan area, and a peak rating of 12.9%. The 2049 demographic rating also averaged 3.7% with a peak of 4.3%, ranking first among all programs aired that week.
The first episode depicted the arrival of “mercenary doctor” Gye Su-jeong (played by Kim Ji-won), who was temporarily assigned to Gu Seo-dae Hospital. After instantly diagnosing an inguinal hernia in a patient who suddenly collapsed at a billiards hall and administering emergency treatment, she drew an “X” with her finger when Park Tae-kyung (played by Kim Woo-seok) asked her name, then disappeared.
After starting work at Gu Seo University Hospital, she clashed head-on with the authoritarian medical system. When Hospital Director Kim Myeong-seop (played by Kim Jong-gu) attempted to force open abdominal surgery on an elderly patient to bolster his own reputation, Su-jeong publicly opposed him, arguing that laparoscopic surgery was necessary given the patient’s condition.
As feared, an accident occurred during the surgery. When the hospital director lost consciousness due to a latex allergy and the medical staff evacuated the operating room, Soo-jeong stepped in to lead the procedure. Realizing that prohibited latex gloves had been used, she ordered them to be replaced and successfully completed the surgery. This scene showcased both Soo-jeong’s outspoken nature and her overwhelming surgical skill.
Although Soo-jeong was fired by the hospital director, she remained at the hospital thanks to a decision by the new director, Bu Seung-kwon (played by Son Hyun-joo). She also signed a special contract stipulating that she would not perform any non-surgical duties, such as research, writing papers, rounds, or staff dinners. However, Seung-kwon revealed his true intentions—that he could offload the hospital’s problems onto Soo-jeong whenever necessary—foreshadowing an uneasy partnership between the two.
The premiere focused on quickly establishing the character of Gye Su-jeong, who challenges the hospital’s power structures and established practices. Kim Ji-won drove the drama by alternating between a cynical tone and unwavering surgical scenes.
The second episode of “Doctor X: The Era of the White Mafia” will air on the 10th at 9:50 p.m.