Actress Kim Ji-won has returned to television screens with 'Doctor X: The Age of the White Mafia.' Playing the genius surgeon Gye Su-jeong, a character who confronts the power and injustices within a hospital, she delivers a tension distinct from conventional medical dramas.

Premiering on the 9th, the SBS Friday-Saturday drama 'Doctor X: The Age of the White Mafia' is a medical noir depicting the journey of Gye Su-jeong, a highly skilled surgeon who stands against the corruption rooted in the hospital organization. Kim Ji-won takes on the role of Gye Su-jeong.

Gye Su-jeong is dispatched from a physician staffing agency to fill a surgeon vacancy at Guseo University Hospital. She is an unconventional doctor who prioritizes her own medical judgment and surgical skills over organizational customs and authority.

■ Gye Su-jeong's Skill Revealed in the Operating Room

In the premiere, Gye Su-jeong appears in an operating room in crisis and saves a patient. Her unwavering leadership of the surgery in a dire medical situation demonstrates both the character's exceptional ability and strong personality.

■ First Acting Transformation in About Two Years Since 'Queen of Tears'

A key point of interest in this work is Kim Ji-won's acting transformation. Having showcased emotional depth in the drama 'Queen of Tears,' Kim Ji-won reveals a new side in her first drama return in about two years, playing a doctor with cool judgment and bold decisiveness.

Gye Su-jeong is not merely a skilled surgeon. She is a character who constantly questions what a doctor's role and responsibility should be within a hospital. Her determination to uphold her principles in situations where organizational interests take precedence over patients' lives forms the core of the drama.

■ Relationships with Lee Jung-eun, Son Hyun-joo, and Kim Woo-seok Also Key Viewing Points

The relationships with surrounding characters are another major draw. Lee Jung-eun appears as Jang Hee-sook, the head of the physician staffing agency, while Son Hyun-joo plays Bu Seung-kwon, the deputy director of Guseo University Hospital. Kim Woo-seok takes the role of Park Tae-kyung, an intern whose hospital life changes upon meeting Gye Su-jeong.

Notably, the confrontation between Gye Su-jeong and the hospital's power elite extends beyond problems in the medical field to the broader theme of conflict between organization and individual. What conflicts arise when a skilled individual challenges the established order serves as a major narrative axis of the work.

'Doctor X: The Age of the White Mafia' is based on the Japanese drama series 'Doctor X.' The Korean version reinterprets the power structure and corruption of the medical field through the medical noir genre.

The reason Kim Ji-won's return is drawing attention lies not only in the success of her previous work but also in how she will portray a character with a very different personality. Gye Su-jeong, a role that requires restrained emotion while conveying a strong presence, offers the actress a chance to showcase a new acting choice, and this transformation is prompting a reexamination of Kim Ji-won's acting range.

■ Sixth Place in the Netizen Awards... Fans' Support Also in Focus

Meanwhile, as of the afternoon of the 11th, Kim Ji-won ranks sixth in the Best Actress category of the October Netizen Awards. With competition for the top spots ongoing, attention is on how Kim Ji-won's presence, highlighted through her new work, will intersect with fans' interest in the remaining period.

With the story now fully underway following the premiere, interest is focused on what choices Gye Su-jeong will make as she clashes with the hospital's internal interests. What outcome emerges when exceptional medical skill confronts organizational power is the drama's key viewing point.

As a principled surgeon in the drama and an actress receiving fans' attention in the Netizen Awards, Kim Ji-won's October is unfolding on both fronts. As the series progresses, it remains to be seen how her new acting will be evaluated and how that interest will translate into her ranking in the Best Actress category.

[This article was written with the assistance of AI.]