South Korean drama ‘Doctor X’ faces petition to halt broadcast

Doctor X: Mafia in White May 18 Democratization Movement Gwangju Uprising SBS Kim Ji-won

The SBS medical drama ‘Doctor X: Mafia in White’ has sparked significant controversy following its sixth episode, which depicted themes related to the 1980 May 18 Gwangju Democratization Movement. The episode featured a patient suffering from long-term trauma and physical injuries caused by gunfire during the uprising, alongside a fictional former president reminiscent of Chun Doo-hwan.

A petition filed on the National Assembly’s electronic platform has called for the suspension of the broadcast, arguing that the inclusion of such politically sensitive historical material in a medical drama is inappropriate and serves to push a specific political agenda. The petitioner has requested a formal review of the production process and for the production team to appear as witnesses before the National Assembly.

Despite the backlash and calls for boycotts against lead actress Kim Ji-won, the series continues to see high viewership, with the controversial episode reaching a record 19.5% nationwide rating. Studio S Chief Producer Lee Ok-gyu responded to the tension on social media by posting a series poster with the phrase “no fear,” though he provided no further explanation.

Entities

Doctor X · Doctor X: Era of the White Mafia · Gwangju · Gwangju Democratization Movement · Kim Ji-won · Lee Ok-gyu · National Assembly of South Korea · National Assembly of the Republic of Korea · SBS · Studio S

Claims

What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.

[● 2 SOURCES] The character Oh Sang-beom suffered a gunshot wound to the head 46 years ago during the Gwangju incident.
[○ 1 SOURCE] The drama reached a peak viewership rating of 21.3%.
[● 2 SOURCES] The sixth episode of ‘Doctor X’ recorded a national viewership rating of 19.5%.
[○ 1 SOURCE] The drama is an adaptation of the Japanese series ‘Doctor X: Surgeon Daimon Michiko’. h21.hani.co.kr