The Korean entertainment industry brings to the table a wide variety of genres. Romcoms, thrillers, historical, and even medical dramas, to name a few. Korean medical dramas, in particular, are fun to watch because they often combine other themes and genres such as romance or slice-of-life, to make the story even more entertaining. Over the years, Korea has produced quite some entertaining medical shows. Here are some of the best Korean medical dramas, ranked:
MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY
6 Kill Me, Heal Me (2015)
MBC
K-drama fans will tell you that Kill Me, Heal Me is a classic as far as Korean dramas go. The drama portrays the love story between Cha Do-Hyun (Ji Sung), a man from a rich family who suffers from Dissociative Personality Disorder (DID), and Oh Ri-Jin (Hwang Jung-Eum), a first-year resident. It was definitely ahead of its time and praised for depicting mental illness, given that mental health was a taboo topic in Korean society at the time.
MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY
MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY
MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY
The drama isn’t strictly a medical drama in the same sense as the other ones mentioned, but it does discuss mental health to an extent. The main focus of the show is the relationship between Do-Hyun and Ri-Jin. The drama does have quite a few hilarious moments that K-drama fans have probably seen often in the form of meme clips, even if they haven’t seen the whole show. It is suggested to take the drama with a grain of salt, given that it’s one of Korea’s older productions.
5 Doctor John (2019)
SBS
Doctor John centers around Cha Yo-Han, an ex-convicted doctor, who begins working at the Pain Management Center at Hanse Medical Hospital. There he meets with Kang Si Young, portrayed by Lee Se-Young, who used to be a doctor at the prison he was held in. The two, along with others on their team, treat patients with a variety of chronic pain.
The best thing about Doctor John is that despite it being a medical drama, it explains all the medical jargon in layman’s terms, making it easier for the audience to keep up. In addition, the show does an amazing job with not only the narrative but also the character portrayal. Even minor characters have such depth that one can’t help but sympathize with them.
4 Hospital Playlist (2020, 2021)
NetflixtvN
Hospital Playlist is the perfect drama for those who enjoy a light show with elements of slice-of-life. The drama has an ensemble cast following the stories of doctors, nurses, and even some patients at a hospital. Five of the main cast doctors Lee Ik-Joon (Cho Jung-Seok), Ahn Jeong-Won (Yoo Yeon-Seok), Kim Jun-Wan (Jung Kyoung-Ho), Yang Seok-Hyeong (Kim Dae-Myung), and Cha Song-Hwa (Jeon Mi-Do) have been friends since medical school and now work together. The five even have their own band.
The drama is fun to watch as it’s pretty light-hearted. It does have a few moments that make emotions stir, but for the most part, it’s pretty calm. Hospital Playlist has elements of humor sprinkled in as well. The best part about the show is definitely the friendship dynamics between the five doctor friends as they try to navigate through their work and personal lives. It’s a great show to watch when one’s in the mood to just relax. It even has a second season.
3 Dr. Romantic (2016)
SBSHBO Max
Starring Han Suk-Kyu as the titular character, Dr. Romantic was a commercial hit and recorded over 20% viewership ratings. The drama did so well that it returned for a second season and a third one is set to air in 2023. The drama follows Han Suk-Kyu as Kim Sa-Bu, who was once a famous surgeon at a major hospital but left everything behind to live a life of seclusion in a small town. There he works as a small neighborhood doctor and eventually meets with Kang Dong-Joo (Yoo Yeon-Seok) and Yoon Seo-Jung (Seo Hyun-Jin).
The wider story of the drama is enjoyable, but what really draws the audience in is the main cast and their characterization. The main trio with Dr. Romantic, Dong-Joo, and Seo-Jung make it very easy for the audience to get attached. Even the characterization of the side characters is also done really well. Do In-bum, portrayed by Yang Sejong, and his rivalry with Dong-Joo is also pretty fun to watch. The two start off by butting heads but eventually develop as individuals and as colleagues.
2 Descendants of the Sun (2016)
KBS
One can’t be a fan of Korean entertainment and not have watched Descendants of the Sun. The drama portrays the romance between a special forces captain, Shi-Jin, played by Song Joong-Ki, and a doctor, Mo-Yeon, played by Song Hye-Kyo. The show was quite popular amongst fans mainly because of the romance between the two leads and also between the side couple Dae-Young (Jin Goo) and Myeong-Joo (Kim Ji-Won). And also due to the bromance between Shi-Jin and Dae-Young.
It’s hard not to melt when Shi-Jin is trying his best to woo Mo-Yeon. Plus, one can’t really complain about the sprinkle of fan service in the drama. Another bonus for K-pop lovers is that not only does SHINee’s Onew sing the OST, You are my Everything, but he also acts in the drama. The idol does a spectacular job portraying the adorable Lee Chi-Hoon, one of Mo-Yeon’s colleagues.
1 D-day (2015)
JTBC
D-day combines the medical drama genre with the disaster trope, giving a story that will keep the audience at the edge of their seats. D-day is a bit of a hidden gem, but once given the chance, it really makes the watch worth it. The story starts when a massive earthquake hits Seoul, paralyzing the whole city, as the doctors and emergency personnel struggle to help people around them.
Fans of Alchemy of Souls will be pleased to see Jung So-Min starring as Jung Ddol-Mi, an intern doctor, who comes to Seoul from Busan to transfer a patient but gets caught up in the disaster. The star of the show is none other than lead actor, Kim Young Kwan, who portrays Lee Hae Sung, a brilliant surgeon, who is willing to go to lengths to help his patients. As the drama progresses one can’t help but get attached to all the characters. Plus, the pacing of the show is done really well, with each episode leaving the audience to wonder what will happen next.
