前川 浩

“Doctor X’: The Medical World as Portrayed by Popular Culture [Ha Jae Geun’s Issue Analysis]” These days, SBS's Friday-Saturday drama Doctor X: Mafia in White (hereafter referred to as Doctor X) has become a hot topic. The drama started strong, recording a viewership rating of 11.4% in its first episode and surpassing the 10% mark right from the beginning. By its sixth episode, its ratings had reached 19.5%, coming close to the 20% milestone. Considering the current television landscape, where even many popular productions struggle to achieve ratings above 10%, surpassing 19% is undoubtedly an extraordinary achievement. This means that the drama is receiving an overwhelmingly enthusiastic response from viewers. However, when you look at the cast, this achievement becomes even more remarkable. Hit dramas are usually led by male Hallyu stars, but Doctor X has Kim Ji Won as its sole leading star. There is also no romantic male character supporting Kim Ji Won's character. Of course, Kim Ji Won is already an established star with numerous hit dramas under her belt. Nevertheless, it is rare to see a production achieve such tremendous success with a female character standing alone at the forefront and carrying the entire drama as its central attraction. That is precisely what makes Doctor X's achievement even more remarkable. The reason this drama has been able to achieve such remarkable success is the sheer power of its storytelling. As its title, Doctor X, suggests, the drama revolves around doctors and the medical profession. However, while the protagonist is a doctor, she is given the name “X.” This signifies that she is not an ordinary or realistic figure, but rather someone extraordinary, exceptional, and mysterious. In other words, the name Doctor X refers to a fictional doctor who exists only within the world of the drama, not in reality. Meanwhile, real-world doctors are portrayed as the “White Mafia.” The term “mafia” refers to an organizational culture that, much like a criminal gang, prioritizes personal profit, hierarchy, and loyalty to the group above all else. In other words, the title Doctor X: The Age of the White Mafia conveys the idea that a mysterious, almost supernatural doctor-hero named Doctor X emerges in a medical community that has become no different from a “White Mafia” and delivers a devastating blow against it. The drama's portrayal of this conflict has generated an explosive response from viewers. This, in turn, reveals a great deal about how the Korean public views the medical profession. In the past, Korean dramas typically portrayed hospitals as places where doctors, driven by genuine passion and dedication, fought tirelessly for the sole purpose of saving patients. The overall atmosphere of these dramas was generally bright and optimistic. That image began to change in 2007 with The White Tower. The drama portrayed the hospital as a “white tower,” depicting it as an arena for power struggles and fierce competition among doctors. The protagonist of The White Tower, Jang Joon-hyuk, was a brilliant surgeon who primarily used his exceptional medical skills to advance his own career rather than to serve his patients. The doctors who opposed him were no different. They formed rival factions and engaged in schemes, conspiracies, and underhanded dealings to maximize their own interests and consolidate their power. Corruption, including under-the-table payments and bribery, was portrayed as an everyday occurrence within the hospital. Despite its dark portrayal of the medical profession, viewers were enthusiastic about the drama. Since The White Tower, it has become increasingly common for large hospitals in Korean dramas to be portrayed as ruthless environments where profit takes priority. Mainstream doctors, too, are often depicted as putting their own interests ahead of their professional duties and responsibilities.