SBS drama ‘Doctor X: The Age of the White Mafia’ has drawn mixed reactions as it sheds light on the pain of victims of the the 18th Democratic Uprising. Immediately after the broadcast, the executive producer posted a message meaning “no fear,” drawing attention.
On the 24th, Lee Ok-gyu, the chief producer (CP) of SBS Friday-Saturday drama ‘Doctor X: The Age of the White Mafia’ (hereinafter ‘Doctor X’), posted on his social media account, along with a drama poster, the phrase “no fear.”
In Episode 6 of ‘Doctor X,’ which aired that day, the story of patient Oh Sang-beom (played by Ha Sung-kyung), who has suffered for 46 years from gunshot wounds sustained during the the 18th Democratic Uprising, was depicted.
Oh Sang-beom was shot in the head in 1980, but medical technology at the time could not remove the bullet fragments. Since then, he has lived with the fragments lodged in his skull, suffering from convulsions, seizures, and headaches, as well as hallucinations and auditory illusions.
In particular, Oh Sang-beom had been cut off from the world for over 40 years due to guilt over his older brother, whose body was never found at the time. He refused treatment, saying, “It is all my fault. Since dying seems like a relief, I want to pay the price by living in this much pain.”
In a situation where the chances of surgical success were slim and other doctors were reluctant to step forward, Gye Su-jung (played by Kim Ji-won) declared that she would take on Oh Sang-beom’s surgery. Gye Su-jung persuaded Oh Sang-beom, saying, “If we do nothing, there is no possibility at all,” and ultimately succeeded in getting him to undergo examinations.
However, the situation became complicated when it was revealed that Oh Sang-beom was seeing a vision of his deceased older brother. Gye Su-jung explained that after the surgery, he might no longer see his brother’s vision, and Oh Sang-beom stated that he did not want to lose the image of his brother and would give up on the surgery.
Gye Su-jung decided not to force Oh Sang-beom’s decision but to wait until he could steady his mind on his own. However, tension was heightened at the end of the broadcast when a scene showed Oh Sang-beom standing by the railing on the hospital rooftop.
After the broadcast, online praise emerged for naturally incorporating the historical pain of the the 18th Democratic Uprising and the suffering of its victims into the drama. On the other hand, criticism was also raised that political views had been excessively inserted.
Amid this, interpretations arose that the post left by CP Lee Ok-gyu immediately after the broadcast was a response to reactions surrounding the episode. However, CP Lee did not explain the specific meaning of the post.
Meanwhile, Episode 6 of ‘Doctor X’ set a new record for the series, recording a nationwide viewership rating of 19.5%, a Seoul metropolitan area rating of 19.2%, and a peak rating of 21.3%, according to Nielsen Korea.
‘Doctor X’ is a medical drama depicting the story of Gye Su-jung, a surgeon with outstanding surgical skills, who stands against the injustices at Gu Seo University Hospital. It airs every Friday and Saturday at 9:50 p.m.
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