Actress Kim Ji-won transforms into genius surgeon Gye Su-jeong in 'Doctor X.' Having shown delicate emotional depth at the heart of romance, Kim Ji-won has now chosen a dark hero in a medical noir, and viewers' anticipation is heating up even before the premiere.

SBS's new Friday-Saturday drama 'Doctor X: The Age of the White Mafia' premieres on October 9 at 9:50 p.m.

In the released video, Kim Ji-won appears as Dr. Gye Su-jeong, known as 'the mad Gye of the operating room,' exuding a powerful presence. In particular, Gye Su-jeong's confident message, 'I don't even fail,' instantly reveals the character's personality. As a doctor who saves lives while also being dangerously confident in her own skills, attention is focused on how she will differ from the protagonists of existing medical dramas.

Her external transformation is also a hot topic. Her shortened bobbed hair, restrained expressions, and coldly settled gaze maximize the atmosphere of the character Gye Su-jeong. One viewer who watched the teaser commented, 'Bobbed hair Kim Ji-won, this alone says it all,' and the comment drew around 2,800 likes.

Some fans are recalling characters Kim Ji-won played in the past. Viewers who remember army surgeon Yoon Myeong-ju from 'Descendants of the Sun' say that Gye Su-jeong feels like a far more intense version of Yoon Myeong-ju. Some fans also note that Kim Ji-won, who played a military doctor, has returned as a surgeon character after all these years.

However, Gye Su-jeong signals a texture quite different from the doctor characters Kim Ji-won has previously portrayed. Judging from the released video alone, the changes she made to fit the character—from her voice and speech patterns to her expressions and gait—stand out. Viewers quickly picked up on this. One fan evaluated Kim Ji-won's transformation as essentially saying that she completely overhauled her voice, speech style, gait, and expressions, and there are also reactions noting that even the mood of her voice changes depending on the role, drawing attention to the process of building the character Gye Su-jeong.

Expectations are also growing for the drama's atmosphere, which appears to focus more on genre elements than romance. As the intense medical noir mood of the released video meshes with Kim Ji-won's cold character, reactions continue along the lines of 'Kim Ji-won fits genre works well' and 'It seems she will show a proper acting transformation through Gye Su-jeong.'

The name 'Gye Su-jeong' itself is quickly imprinting itself on viewers. Comments awaiting the premiere keep coming, from expressions of anticipation like 'Come soon, Gye Su-jeong' to viewers saying they couldn't help but click the video because of Kim Ji-won's commanding presence in the thumbnail.

Kim Ji-won has dramatically changed her vibe to match her character in every project. This time, set against the operating room—a space that saves lives—and the world of power and desire that unfolds within it, she presents a face different from before.

Anticipation for the new work is also carrying over to the September Netizens' Awards. Kim Ji-won is currently ranked 7th in the Best Actress category, aiming to break into the top ranks. As her new acting transformation as Gye Su-jeong draws attention, whether fans' support will translate into a rise in the rankings is also a point of interest. The Netizens' Awards is an online award ceremony where fans can directly vote and lend strength to the stars they support, and fans supporting Kim Ji-won can participate in the Best Actress vote through the Netizens' Awards.

Whether Gye Su-jeong, who declares 'I don't even fail,' is simply a genius surgeon with outstanding surgical skills or, as the title 'White Mafia' suggests, a figure who moves in her own way within the dark structures of the medical world will be confirmed in the actual broadcast. As Kim Ji-won heralds yet another transformation—from the Kim Ji-won of romance to the Kim Ji-won of medical noir—attention is focused on how 'Doctor X: The Age of the White Mafia' will complete the new character Gye Su-jeong. Whether the anticipation for the premiere will also add vitality to the competition in the Netizens' Awards Best Actress vote remains to be seen.

[This article was written based on the program-related video released by SBS and viewer reactions confirmed at the time of release. Comments do not represent the opinions of all viewers, and the specific developments of the work may vary depending on the actual broadcast. AI provided partial assistance in the writing of this article.]