South Korean actor Kim Ji Won’s latest K-drama, Doctor X: Mafia in White, has been pulling in record ratings, but its latest episode has also landed it in hot water. The medical drama is facing backlash for bringing the 1980 Gwangju Democratic Uprising into its storyline, with a petition filed before South Korea’s National Assembly seeking to halt its broadcast and review how the episode was produced.
What sparked the controversy?
The controversy centres on the sixth episode, which aired on October 24. It features Kim Ji-won’s character, Gye Soo Jeung, attempting to remove a bullet that has been lodged in a patient’s brain for 46 years. The injury is connected to the military crackdown on pro-democracy protesters in Gwangju in May 1980.
According to Korea Herald, the petitioner questioned why such a politically sensitive historical event had been brought into a medical drama that was not originally centred on politics. They also argued that the storyline could be interpreted as promoting a particular political viewpoint, making some viewers uncomfortable.
The petition was submitted through the National Assembly’s online petition platform and gathered the 100 signatures required to proceed to the review stage for public disclosure. Along with calling for the production process to be examined, the petitioner has demanded that the series be taken off air.
The details viewers noticed in the episode
Apart from the central storyline, viewers also pointed to specific details that appeared to reference the Gwangju uprising. These included a bus numbered 518, a reference to May 18, 1980, when the pro-democracy movement began, and a fictional former president resembling Chun Doo Hwan, who arrives at the hospital unconscious.
The Gwangju uprising lasted from May 18 to 27, 1980, when citizens protested against military rule under Chun Doo Hwan. The demonstrations were met with a violent military crackdown. The events remain a defining chapter in South Korea’s struggle for democracy and continue to carry considerable historical and political significance.
As the criticism grew, the drama’s chief producer, Lee Ok Gyu, shared its poster on social media with the caption “no fear.” He offered no further explanation, leaving viewers to speculate about the message behind the post. While some interpreted it as a defiant response to the backlash, Lee has not publicly clarified his intention.
Kim Ji-won returns to television after Queen of Tears
Doctor X: Mafia in White follows Gye Soo Jeung, a talented and unconventional surgeon who takes on corruption within hospital administration. The series is a Korean adaptation of the Japanese medical drama franchise Doctor-X: Surgeon Michiko Daimon. For Kim Ji-won, the show marks her return to television two years after the phenomenal success of Queen of Tears.
Doctor X continues to draw strong ratings
Despite the controversy, viewers have continued to tune in. Doctor X opened with nationwide ratings of 11.4% and 14.9% for its first two episodes, recording the highest miniseries premiere ratings in South Korea for 2026 at the time. The sixth episode pushed the numbers higher still, reaching a peak rating of 21.3%.
An excerpt from Hindustan Times review read, “Doctor X: Mafia in White opens with serious momentum. Kim Ji Won absolutely anchors the premiere as a surgeon who refuses to play along with toxic hospital politics. There is a specific kind of satisfaction in watching a brilliant outsider slowly dismantle a corrupt system, and this series taps right into that exact energy. While the first two episodes are still setting the board, they easily give you enough reasons to stay tuned and see just how far this medical rebellion will go.”