“They want to take it off the air?”... Han Jung-soo backs ‘Doctor X,’ which deals with May 18

[Financial News]  Actor Han Jung-soo, 53, has pushed back against calls to stop the broadcast of SBS’s ‘Doctor X: The Era of the White Mafia,’ a drama about the May 18 Democratization Movement. With a related petition filed with the National Assembly, Han said he was enjoying the drama and voiced his support for the production team.
On the 26th, Han posted a scene from ‘Doctor X’ on his social media account and wrote, “Stop it from airing? Are you crazy? I don’t usually watch dramas, but lately I’ve really been enjoying ‘Doctor X.’ Thank you.”
The controversy centers on episode 6 of ‘Doctor X,’ which aired on the 24th. In the drama, Oh Sang-beom, played by Ha Seong-gwang, is portrayed as someone who suffered a gunshot wound to the head during the May 18 Democratization Movement in 1980 and has endured the aftereffects for more than 40 years. The genius surgeon Kye Su-jeong, played by Kim Ji-won, operated on Oh, and later in the episode a fictional former president who evokes former President Chun Doo-hwan appeared.
After the episode aired, opinions online were divided over its portrayal of the May 18 Democratization Movement in a medical drama. Some praised the drama for reflecting a historical tragedy, while others criticized how it incorporated historical events and political subject matter into the story.
On the 24th, a petition titled ‘Petition to Stop the Broadcast of SBS Drama Doctor X’ was filed on the National Assembly’s public petition board. The petitioner said it was difficult to understand the inclusion of historical events and political subject matter in a medical drama and called for scrutiny of the production process. The petitioner also asked that the drama be taken off the air. The petition has secured the 100 preliminary supporters required for public disclosure and is under review for publication.
The drama’s ratings set a new series high. According to Nielsen Korea, episode 6 of ‘Doctor X’ recorded a 19.5% rating among households nationwide, while its peak per-minute rating reached 21.3%.
‘Doctor X’ is a medical noir drama about Kye Su-jeong, a surgeon with exceptional surgical skills who takes on corruption and power within the hospital. It airs on SBS every Friday and Saturday at 9:50 p.m.
Earlier, on the 1st of this month, Han also shared his thoughts on the film ‘Assassin(s),’ which had come under fire over allegations of historical distortion. At the time, he posted, “Let’s watch movies as movies. It’s not a documentary, is it? Why is everyone making such a fuss?”
Han has repeatedly shared his views on political and social issues on social media. He openly criticized the Democratic Party of Korea over the local election results and also expressed his views on government policies and the Korea Football Association.
However, last September, he said he intended to scale back his political comments and focus on his acting career.


[email protected] Han Seung-gon Reporter