Medical drama's prospects hit as doctors lose sympathy

As public opinion toward doctors worsens over the medical vacuum caused by physicians’ collective action against a planned increase in medical school admissions, a planned medical drama seems to be suffering the fallout.

“Wise Resident Life” is a spin-off of the 2020-2021 series Hospital Playlist, and depicts the lives and friendships of professors and doctors at the fictional Yulje University Hospital.

It is scheduled for release on tvN in the first half of this year.

Early this month, tvN posted a short 15-second video titled “Yulje is coming back soon,” foreshadowing the upcoming drama.

After the video was uploaded, comments initially expressed anticipation for the drama. However, once the doctors’ collective action started in earnest, the comments took a more critical tone.

Some comments criticized the drama for glorifying doctors while others expressed antipathy, referencing media reports about messages exchanged between doctors in the drama that disparaged patients and nurses. There were also sympathetic comments, noting that the timing of the drama’s airing was unfortunate.

The two Hospital Playlist series, the predecessors to Wise Resident Life, were popular, recording high viewership ratings of 16 percent and 14 percent, respectively. They depicted warm-hearted doctors.