‘The consultant lost the argument’: Kim Ji-won’s ‘Doctor X’ sparks backlash over medical inaccuracies despite record ratings

Kim Ji-won stars as maverick surgeon Gye Soo-jung in ‘Doctor X: Mafia in White’, which has drawn criticism over alleged medical inaccuracies despite its record-breaking ratings. — Picture courtesy of Netflix

By Malay Mail

First Published: Friday, 16 Oct 2026 11:57 AM MYT

SEOUL, Oct 16 — Kim Ji-won’s highly anticipated comeback drama Doctor X: Mafia in White has scored record-breaking ratings, but its medical accuracy is already under fire — prompting a remarkably candid response from one of the show’s own consultants.

“If you see something medically inaccurate, you can assume that the consultant and the production team disagreed, and the consultant lost the argument,” emergency medicine physician Namgung In wrote on social media on October 11.

Namgung, who works at Ewha Womans University Mokdong Hospital and served as a medical consultant on the SBS series, made the remarks amid mounting criticism of the show’s portrayal of surgical procedures and emergency treatment, according to The Korea Herald.

Among the scenes drawing criticism was an operation involving an inguinal hernia, with viewers questioning why surgery was necessary after the condition had apparently already been successfully reduced.

Others criticised a surgeon making unilateral decisions during an operation involving multiple medical specialities, arguing that the scenes disregarded established medical protocols.

However, some viewers defended the drama, arguing that creative liberties are inevitable in a fictional medical series.

The backlash comes despite an impressive debut for Doctor X, which premiered on October 9 to a nationwide rating of 11.4 per cent before climbing to 14.9 per cent for its second episode the following night, according to Nielsen Korea.

Its premiere also recorded the highest rating among South Korean miniseries debuts in 2026.

The series marks Kim’s first television drama since the global success of Queen of Tears in 2024, in which she starred opposite Kim Soo-hyun.

The 33-year-old actress plays Gye Soo-jung, a brilliant but unconventional surgeon who challenges corruption and power struggles within the hospital establishment.

Doctor X: Mafia in White is adapted from the hit Japanese medical drama Doctor-X: Surgeon Michiko Daimon, which starred Ryoko Yonekura and ran for seven seasons between 2012 and 2021.

The Korean remake introduces a darker, noir-inspired approach to the original’s tale of a maverick surgeon taking on the medical establishment.

With its ratings soaring but its medical credibility being called into question, Doctor X now faces the challenge of keeping viewers invested in its high-stakes hospital drama.