Kim Ji Won reportedly took her medical training for Doctor X: The Age of the White Mafia so seriously that even real doctors working as advisers on the drama were impressed by her performance.
Ahead of the SBS drama’s premiere, director Lee Jung Rim shared behind-the-scenes details about Kim Ji Won’s preparation for her role as Gye Soo Jung, a highly skilled surgeon known for her confidence in the operating room.
According to the director, Kim Ji Won began learning surgical techniques from doctors before filming started. She not only memorized complicated surgical procedures but also practiced skills such as suturing and tying surgical knots until she could perform them smoothly.
Lee Jung Rim revealed, “She memorized the complicated order of the procedures perfectly, and even her suturing and knot-tying speed became as skilled as that of a real doctor.”
The director added that the medical professionals who visited the set as advisers were impressed enough to applaud her work.
“The doctors who came to the set as medical advisers watched her and even applauded before leaving,” she shared.
Lee Jung Rim explained that making the surgery scenes believable required more than simply copying medical movements.
The production also wanted the operating room sequences to show Gye Soo Jung’s personality, including her confidence while leading a surgery and her attitude toward patients afterward.
The director praised Kim Ji Won for studying details beyond what was explained to her and said the actress gradually made the character feel completely her own.
“As filming continued, it became difficult to imagine Gye Soo Jung being played by anyone other than Kim Ji Won,” Lee Jung Rim said.
Doctor X: The Age of the White Mafia follows Gye Soo Jung, a gifted surgeon who becomes involved in conflicts surrounding corruption and power inside Guseo University Hospital. The medical noir drama will also star Lee Jung Eun, Son Hyun Joo, Kim Woo Seok, and several other veteran actors.
Rather than focusing only on medical cases, the series is expected to explore the choices doctors make while facing pressure, competing beliefs, and struggles within the hospital.
Doctor X: The Age of the White Mafia is scheduled to premiere on SBS on October 9 at 9:50 p.m. KST.
