Actor Kim Ji-won, playing protagonist Gye Su-jeong in the SBS drama "Doctor X: Mafia in White"SBS
Actor Kim Ji-won has been flooded with malicious comments on social media from conservative-leaning viewers after the drama "Doctor X: Mafia in White" depicted the May 18 Democratization Movement, with critics accusing the show of injecting political themes into a medical drama.
Kim's Instagram account has recently received a wave of critical comments, including "So it was a left-wing drama" and "I'll boycott your future projects."
Others wrote, "As a public figure, you should keep your personal political views to yourself" and "I'm a fan, but I'm disappointed by the May 18 storyline."
Some social media users defended Kim, questioning why critics were targeting the actor's personal account and arguing that directing criticism of a drama's content at an individual cast member was excessive.
The comments began appearing after Episode 6 of the SBS drama "Doctor X: Mafia in White" aired on Saturday, featuring scenes depicting the May 18 Democratization Movement.
The episode featured Oh Sang-beom, played by Ha Sung-kwang, a patient who had suffered lifelong complications after being shot in the head in Gwangju in 1980. Bullet fragments remaining in Oh's head were presented as evidence of helicopter gunfire by martial law troops during the May 18 Democratization Movement in Gwangju.
The episode also included a scene in which the protagonist, Gye Su-jeong, played by Kim, and other characters boarded a bus numbered 518 bound for the May 18th National Cemetery.
Actor Kim Ji-won from the SBS drama "Doctor X: Mafia in White"SBS
Toward the end of the episode, a fictional former president named Ji Do-seok is brought to the hospital unconscious. The character is reminiscent of former President Chun Doo Hwan, who played a key role in the crackdown on the democracy movement and later became president. Upon seeing the fictional president, Oh appears to be reminded of the horrors he experienced during the crackdown.
Following the broadcast, some viewers criticized the drama for what they considered an unnatural combination of medical storytelling and historical and political themes. Others praised the episode for highlighting the suffering of victims of state violence.
The episode recorded a nationwide household viewership rating of 19.5 percent, according to Nielsen Korea, setting a record for the series.
Similar incidents in which criticism of a production spilled over to its cast members have occurred recently.
The film "The Assassin(s)," released in September, faced criticism of historical distortion, with a wave of criticism directed at lead actor Yoo Hai-jin.
A promotional poster for the film "The Assassin(s)" is displayed at a movie theater in Seoul on Oct. 11.YONHAP
Some social media users posted malicious comments on advertisements featuring Yoo and demanded that his advertising contracts be terminated. A protest was also held outside Yoo's home, and the actor reportedly requested personal protection.
A petition calling for "Doctor X" to be taken off the air has also been submitted to the National Assembly's public petition platform. The petition has secured the 100 preliminary endorsements required before publication and is currently under review to determine whether it will be made public.
The petitioner criticized the drama — a Korean adaptation of a Japanese original — for adding a storyline about the May 18 Democratization Movement that was absent from the original Japanese drama. The petitioner called the sixth episode "a forced addition intended to promote a particular political position" and demanded the production team appear before the National Assembly as witnesses.
SBS has not issued an official statement regarding the backlash.
Lee Ok-kyu, chief producer at SBS's production subsidiary Studio S, posted a poster for the drama on social media on Saturday with the caption "no fear." However, it remains unclear whether the post was intended as a response to the controversy.
This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
