Good Doctor (South Korean TV series)


Good Doctor is a 2013 South Korean medical drama television series starring Joo Won, Moon Chae-won, Joo Sang-wook, Kim Min-seo, Chun Ho-jin, Kwak Do-won, and Ko Chang-seok. It aired on KBS2 from August 5 to October 8, 2013, on Mondays and Tuesdays at 21:55 for 20 episodes. The early working title was Green Scalpel.

Synopsis

Park Si-on is a resident surgeon on the autism spectrum with savant syndrome who was sent to a specialized care center as a child, where he was discovered to have a genius-level memory and keen spatial skills. He eventually becomes a pediatric surgery resident and is given six months to prove himself capable. However, due to his atypical mental and emotional condition, Si-on faces conflict from his peers and patients, who view him as childlike and unreliable. Most critical is the hotheaded surgeon Kim Do-han. Do-han was requested by the young surgeon's mentor and hospital director, Choi Woo-seok, to guide him but is unwilling to do so, as he criticizes him as overly dependent on his photographic memory rather than empathy for patients. Despite help from understanding and fair colleagues like Cha Yoon-seo and Han Jin-wook, the hospital is a fierce and competitive world, and the challenges Si-on faces become only greater when he falls in love with Yoon-seo, a fellow doctor at the hospital.

Cast

Main

Supporting

Sungwon University Hospital officials

Department of Pediatric Surgery

Nursing division

Children's ward

Others

Special appearances

Ratings

Good Doctor made a strong debut on the TV ratings chart. It maintained the number one spot in its timeslot for most of its run, with an average viewership rating of 18.0% and 17.4%.

Awards and nominations

In November 2013, the Korea Association of the Welfare Institutes for the Disabled gave the series a plaque of recognition for creating awareness about autism and how socially challenged individuals can contribute to society. In December 2013, Good Doctor also received an award from the Disability Awareness Campaign Headquarters and was designated as a "Good Program" by the Korea Communications Standards Commission.

International adaptations

American

An American remake of the same name, produced by Daniel Dae Kim, debuted in late September 2017 on ABC. The story of a surgeon with autism is set in San Jose, California, airing during fall of 2017.

Japanese

A Japanese remake of the same name starred Kento Yamazaki, Juri Ueno, and Naohito Fujiki aired from July 12 to September 13, 2018, on Fuji TV.

Turkish

A Turkish remake called Mucize Doktor produced by Asena Bülbüloğlu debuted on September 12, 2019, on Fox Turkey.

Thailand

A Thailand remake of the same name, produced by True4U, TrueVisions, and True CJ Creations, debuted in October 2024 on the True ID application, and True Asian More channel 120/239 for TrueVisions subscribers. This version and take the lead roles as Dr. Shone and Dr. Preem.

Philippines

A Philippine remake of the same name, produced by CreaZion Studios and MediaQuest, will premiere in 2026 on TV5.