Kim Mu-yeol reunites with director Hong Jong-chan for the third time in 'First Doctor'

Kim Mu-yeol will reunite with director Hong Jong-chan for the new Netflix medical drama 'First Doctor.' This marks their third collaboration following 'Juvenile Justice' and 'True Education.' While it is too early to discuss the results since the work has not yet been released, the combination of the creative team alone provides a hint of the show's tone. The creative team, who previously dealt with courtrooms and schools, is now moving the stage to a hospital, specifically pediatric surgery.

Jung Ryeo-won as Heo Ji-wan, Kim Mu-yeol as Son Sang-baek

'First Doctor' is set in the pediatric department of Yeonhui University, located in a provincial area. The story begins when Heo Ji-wan, a doctor who left the hospital due to incidents during her residency, returns as the head of pediatrics and attempts to protect the pediatric surgery department, which is facing the threat of being closed. Jung Ryeo-won takes on the role of Heo Ji-wan, while Kim Mu-yeol is cast as the head of surgery, Son Sang-baek. Baek Hyun-jin is reported to play the head of surgery who clashes with Heo Ji-wan, and Ha Yoon-kyung has reportedly joined as the surgical resident Ki Eun-gyeol.

The setting of pediatric surgery is not merely a device to change the department in a hospital drama. It is a space where a child's first surgery, the anxiety of guardians, and the reality of the hospital all collide. If the work tackles this point head-on, there is a high possibility it will become a human medical drama that follows the decisions adults make regarding a child's life, rather than focusing on the competition of doctors' skills.

'Juvenile Justice' team moves to the hospital

The lineup of the production team is also drawing attention. Director Hong Jong-chan left a strong impression on Netflix viewers with 'Juvenile Justice,' and writer Kim Min-seok is also the person who wrote 'Juvenile Justice.' After working with Director Hong on that project, Kim Mu-yeol continued to 'True Education,' and now faces his third collaboration with 'First Doctor.' There is a clear advantage when an actor and a director meet repeatedly. Because they know how to work together, they can more quickly align the intensity of the characters and the temperature of the scenes.

However, the genre this time is different from their previous works. Compared to legal dramas or school dramas, medical dramas have more information to explain, and if the patient's narrative and the doctor's narrative are even slightly misaligned, the emotions can easily appear excessive. Therefore, the first task for 'First Doctor' is how naturally it builds up human emotions rather than medical tension. Depending on whether Son Sang-baek, played by Kim Mu-yeol, is a character who opposes Heo Ji-wan or a pillar showing the reality of the hospital, the tone of the drama may change.

The next checkpoint in the flow of Netflix medical dramas

This year, Netflix reaffirmed the global consumption potential of Korean medical dramas with 'Trauma Center.' While 'First Doctor' uses the same hospital setting, its direction is different. Rather than the fast pace of emergency medicine, there is more room to deal with the continuous burden of pediatric surgery, the crisis of regional hospitals, and the time of families surrounding a child. This difference must be clear for the new work to gain persuasiveness.

The next points to watch are the release date, the final cast, and the first trailer. In particular, it is important to see how the relationship between Heo Ji-wan and Son Sang-baek and the crisis of the pediatric surgery department's closure are depicted in the first video. The news of Kim Mu-yeol's joining is more than just casting news. The starting point has now been set for what kind of face a familiar creative team will show as they move to a completely different field.