Kim Ji-won’s ‘doctor X’ Hits 14.9% Ratings, Peaks At 17.4% In Episode 2

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The SBS medical drama topped Saturday’s miniseries rankings as Kim Ji-won’s surgeon challenged the hospital hierarchy before a closing twist raised questions about her past.

Kim Ji-won’s latest drama has made a strong opening statement: two episodes in, Doctor X is already leading Saturday’s miniseries ratings.

The SBS series puts Kim at the center of a hospital where influence often carries more weight than a patient’s needs. Her character, surgeon Gye Su-jeong, refuses to accept that arrangement and episode two turns that conflict into a high-stakes test of her abilities.

But just as she proves what she can do in the operating room, the drama introduces a reason to question what viewers know about her.

A fan-made poster for a drama featuring a woman in a medical setting, seated confidently while dressed in a white coat and black pants. The backdrop includes surgical lights and medical equipment, creating an intense atmosphere, with a bold red 'X' overlay.

Doctor X Episode 2 Records a 17.4% Peak

According to Nielsen Korea figures reported by MoneyToday, the October 10 episode earned a nationwide household rating of 14.9%, with 14.7% in the Seoul metropolitan area. Its highest minute reached 17.4%.

Those results placed Doctor X first in its time slot and among all miniseries broadcast that Saturday.

The episode also recorded an average rating of 4.6% among viewers aged 20 to 49, rising to a peak of 5.4%. MoneyToday reported that its performance in this demographic led all programs broadcast during the week.

A Surgeon Who Refuses to Play by the Hospital’s Rules

At Guseo University Hospital, Su-jeong’s priorities clash with a system built around status and authority.

When an emergency patient needs transport, she takes a wheelchair reserved for a VIP. She also openly challenges surgical department chief Do Yun-sik, played by Kim Young-min, exposing the tension between professional rank and actual surgical competence.

These confrontations establish the episode’s central stakes: whether the hospital will allow the person most capable of helping a patient to take charge.

A close-up portrait of a woman with shoulder-length black hair, wearing a bloodstained medical coat, staring intently at the viewer. She has a faint scar on her neck, and there is blood on her hand, suggesting a dramatic and intense atmosphere.

Two Operations Put Su-jeong’s Skills to the Test

The conflict reaches its turning point when Yun-sik discovers that a VIP patient’s tumor has spread more extensively than expected and considers abandoning the operation.

Hospital director Bu Seung-gwon, played by Son Hyun-joo, calls on Su-jeong even though she is already operating on another patient.

She finishes that procedure, expected to take three to four hours, in approximately one hour before moving to the VIP’s operating room. Within six and a half hours, she has completed both operations and saved both patients.

The sequence gives the hospital a practical demonstration of the expertise behind her defiance.

A Final Twist Complicates Her Victory

The episode’s closing revelation shifts attention from Su-jeong’s present-day achievements to her history.

A news report describes a patient who died two months after an operation performed by a physician known as “Doctor X,” using the same surgical technique. Su-jeong’s face appears in the accompanying photograph.

The connection raises questions without resolving them. After an episode built around her ability to save lives, the drama leaves viewers wondering what happened to that earlier patient—and how Su-jeong was involved.

Editor’s Note: From Queen of Tears to Doctor X

International audiences may recognize Kim Ji-won as Hong Hae-in, the retail heiress at the center of the 2024 romantic drama Queen of Tears. Netflix’s official series guide identifies her character as a Queens Group executive whose marriage to Baek Hyun-woo, played by Kim Soo-hyun, faces a profound crisis.

SBS describes Doctor X as the story of a gifted doctor confronting a medical establishment controlled by powerful figures. That premise gives Kim a different setting for a commanding lead character: here, authority is tested through surgical skill and resistance to institutional corruption.

The early ratings establish a strong start. Whether Doctor X sustains that momentum will depend on how it develops both the hospital conflict and the mystery surrounding its central surgeon.