SBS’s Friday-Saturday drama Doctor X: Mafia in White (hereafter Doctor X) has encountered an unexpected obstacle amid a debate over medical accuracy, with a practicing doctor requesting a formal broadcast review. However, critics are increasingly questioning whether taking personal dissatisfaction a step further by demanding public regulatory intervention amounts to excessive nitpicking and an attempt to find fault with a successful production.
Premiering on October 9, Doctor X is a medical noir drama about Gye Su-jeong (played by Kim Ji-won), a brilliant surgeon who takes on a corrupt power cartel within a hospital. Fueled by Kim’s fearless performance and the drama’s fast-paced, satisfying storyline, the series opened with a viewership rating of 11.4% for its first episode before climbing to 14.9% by its second.
Alongside its rapid rise in popularity, however, unexpected controversy has emerged. Recently, a practicing orthopedic surgeon requested a review by the Korea Communications Standards Commission, arguing that Doctor X portrays hospital rounds as unnecessary busywork and reduces medical professionals to incompetent villains. The complaint cited concerns about distortions of medical reality and disparagement of healthcare workers. The controversy follows earlier criticism of medical inaccuracies, including decisions regarding emergency surgery for a patient with an inguinal hernia and the use of a 300-joule defibrillation shock. Namgung In, a professor who served as the drama’s medical adviser, previously commented that “the adviser and the production team fought, and the adviser lost.” The dispute has now escalated into a call for formal regulatory scrutiny. SBS has declined to comment, stating that it has “no separate position” on the matter.
Given that medical dramas deal with matters directly related to human life, concerns about medical accuracy are certainly understandable. Healthcare professionals have every reason to point out inaccuracies when medical procedures or emergency treatment are depicted differently from real-world practice. However, criticism of fictional villainous characters or the portrayal of particular professions is widely viewed as excessive interference that goes beyond legitimate concerns about accuracy and intrudes into the realm of creative expression. Dramas are fictional works that construct conflict and narrative, and creative freedom should allow characters from any profession to be portrayed as either good or evil, depending on the story.
Before the broadcast, the production team explicitly acknowledged its creative liberties through an on-screen disclaimer stating that “some scenes have been adapted differently from actual medical practice for dramatic purposes.” SBS’s decision not to respond further may also reflect the view that such creative deviations fall within the acceptable boundaries of fictional storytelling rather than warranting effective regulatory sanctions.
Considering the long-standing practice of portraying people from various professions as villains in television dramas and films, many observers are skeptical that the current controversy has been blown out of proportion. Television and cinema frequently feature corrupt prosecutors, police officers colluding with gangsters, judges bribed with money, and journalists and politicians serving those in power. Although objections from professional groups and complaints to the Korea Communications Standards Commission are not unprecedented, condemning an entire production over its fictional conflicts and villainous characters raises concerns that creative freedom could be unduly restricted.
Public reactions have also largely defended the drama. Netizens responded with comments such as, “It’s just a drama. People are making too much of it,” “Then what about stories about corrupt police officers and prosecutors?” “Dramas and movies aren’t documentaries,” “Can’t people just watch it as a work of fiction?” and “It’s even stranger to treat it like a documentary.”
The drama’s explosive popularity appears to be a major factor behind the controversy. With its ratings soaring to 14.9% after just two episodes and attracting widespread public attention, even minor inconsistencies in its fictional narrative are now being scrutinized under a microscope. Yet what viewers want is not necessarily a flawless audit of operating-room protocols or an idealized portrayal of doctors. Rather, they want to enjoy the exhilarating exploits of Gye Su-jeong, the brilliant surgeon played by Kim Ji-won, as she takes down the corrupt power structures within the hospital.
Medical inaccuracies can and should be pointed out when necessary. However, imposing excessive regulatory standards on how professions are portrayed in fiction risks turning legitimate criticism into an overblown campaign to find fault. It is important to prevent controversy that disregards the nature of fictional storytelling from becoming a harmful force that undermines a successful drama and the actors delivering compelling performances.
Sources: Naver