''Dr. Romantic'' () is a South Korean television series starring

Han Suk-kyu Han Suk-kyu (born November 3, 1964) is a South Korean actor. One of the leading actors of Korean cinema, Han's notable works include ''Green Fish'' (1997), '' No. 3'' (1997), ''Christmas in August'' (1998), '' Shiri'' (1999), ''The Scarlet Letter ...

as the title character with

Yoo Yeon-seok Yoo Yeon-seok (born Ahn Yeon-seok on April 11, 1984) is a South Korean actor. After making his acting debut in 2003 with a small role in '' Oldboy'', he resumed his acting career in 2008. His notable works include the films '' Re-encounter'' (2 ...

Seo Hyun-jin Seo Hyun-jin (born February 27, 1985) is a South Korean actress and singer. Seo debuted as the main vocalist of South Korean girl group M.I.L.K. in 2001 and continued until the group disbanded in 2003. She contributed songs as a solo artist af ...

in first season,

Ahn Hyo-seop Ahn Hyo-seop (born April 17, 1995) or Paul Ahn, is a Canadian actor and singer based in South Korea. He gained recognition for his main roles in the Korean dramas ''Still 17'' (2018), ''Abyss'' (2019), ''Dr. Romantic 2'' (2020), ''Lovers of the ...

Lee Sung-kyung Lee Sung-kyung (; born August 10, 1990) is a South Korean model, actress and singer. She is best known for her roles in television series ''Cheese in the Trap'' (2016), '' The Doctors'' (2016), ''Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok-joo'' (2016), ''Dr. R ...

in second and third season. The first season aired on

SBS TV SBS may refer to: Broadcasting * SBS Broadcasting Group, Belgium, formerly many countries * Talpa TV, formerly SBS Broadcasting B.V., Netherlands ** SBS6, Dutch television channel ** SBS9, Dutch television channel * Special Broadcasting Service ...

from November 7, 2016, to January 16, 2017, every Monday and Tuesday at 22:00 ( KST). The second season aired from January 6 to February 25, 2020, every Monday and Tuesday at 21:40 (KST). The third season is scheduled to premiere in April 2023. The first season received positive reception, recording over 20% in ratings. In addition, it also received positive reviews for its plot and Han Suk-kyu's performance.

Series overview

Synopsis

Season 1

A story about Boo Yong-joo (

), a triple-board certified surgeon, who was once at the top of his field and used to work at

Seoul Seoul (; ; ), officially known as the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea.Before 1972, Seoul was the ''de jure'' capital of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea) as stated iArticle 103 ...

's top medical center, Geosan University Hospital. After a traumatic incident, he disappears and changes his name to Kim Sa-bu. He begins working at a small hospital named Doldam, located in Gangwon Province. He guides Kang Dong-joo (

) and Yoon Seo-jeong (

) to become great doctors by teaching them to fight against power and money for the sake of patients.

Season 2

Three years following the events of first season, Kim Sa-bu visits Geosan University Hospital to recruit a general surgeon. He finds Seo Woo-jin (

), a doctor with a troubled past who is ostracized by his fellow doctors, and offers him the job. In the meantime, Cha Eun-jae (

) is suspended after making another mistake in the operation room and has no other choice but to follow the two doctors to Doldam Hospital.

Cast

Character appearances

Main

as Kim Sa-bu (Teacher Kim) / Boo Yong-joo : His real name is Boo Yong-joo, but he uses the name Kim Sa-bu. He is the only surgeon in South Korea who achieved triple-board certification in

general surgery General surgery is a surgical specialty that focuses on alimentary canal and abdominal contents including the esophagus, stomach, small intestine, large intestine, liver, pancreas, gallbladder, appendix and bile ducts, and often the thyroid ...

cardiac surgery Cardiac surgery, or cardiovascular surgery, is surgery on the heart or great vessels performed by cardiac surgeons. It is often used to treat complications of ischemic heart disease (for example, with coronary artery bypass grafting); to corr ...

and

neurosurgery Neurosurgery or neurological surgery, known in common parlance as brain surgery, is the medical specialty concerned with the surgical treatment of disorders which affect any portion of the nervous system including the brain, spinal cord and peri ...

. After the death of his junior in Geosan University Hospital, he isolates himself and moves to Doldam Hospital to become the Chief Surgeon there. In season two, Doldam Hospital is in need of a general surgeon, he visited Geosan University Hospital in Seoul to recruit one and quickly becomes interested in Seo Woo-jin and Cha Eun-jae. After learning about their skills and struggles through other doctors, he decides to recruit them. *

as Kang Dong-joo **

Yoon Chan-young Yoon Chan-young (born April 25, 2001) is a South Korean actor. He began his career as a child actor and gained wider recognition for his appearance and fame in the 2022 Netflix series, ''All of Us Are Dead ''All of Us Are Dead'' () is a S ...

as young Kang Dong-joo : Intelligent and armed with excellent skills, he has strong desire to succeed, but is held back due to his poor family background. He gets transferred to Doldam Hospital after a failed surgery on a VIP, which was an opportunity for him to prove his skills. *

as Yoon Seo-jung ** Shin Yi-joon as young Yoon Seo-jung : She has a strong desire to be recognized more than anyone. She gets swayed by Dong-joo's romantic confession and feels guilty after the death of her boyfriend. After the accident, she disappears from Geosan University Hospital and is rescued by Kim Sa-bu after injuring herself. She then becomes a doctor at Doldam Hospital. *

as Seo Woo-jin : A second-year general surgery

fellow A fellow is a concept whose exact meaning depends on context. In learned or professional societies, it refers to a privileged member who is specially elected in recognition of their work and achievements. Within the context of higher education ...

. When he was young, he almost died when his parents committed suicide. He has since been struggling to survive, doing part-time jobs to pay for his medical studies and to pay back his family's debt. He has been fired from two hospitals, first because he was labeled as a whistleblower after testifying against his mentor, then because false rumors about his part-time jobs kept surrounding him. In need of money, he eventually accepts Teacher Kim's job offer but the latter is not sure about Woo-Jin's motives anymore. He has been in love with Eun-jae since medical school but has kept it a secret. *

as Cha Eun-jae : A second-year cardiothoracic surgery fellow. She was a top student at medical school, often in competition with Woo-jin with whom she had a complicated relationship, but she cannot bear to do a surgery without vomiting or falling asleep when she takes medicine. She is thus suspended and has to work for Teacher Kim before she can go back to the main hospital. She realizes her love for Woo-Jin at the end of the series. *

Kim Joo-hun Kim Joo-hun (; born March 1, 1980) is a South Korean theater, television and movie actor. He debuted in 2009 in Korean adaptation of stage play Marat Sade and become member of Alleyway Theater Company until 2014. He is best known for his role ...

as Park Min-gook : A professor of general surgery and the new director of Doldam Hospital. He once ran away from a bus accident while Teacher Kim was risking his life to save an unconscious person and has since decided to surpass the doctor's skills.

Supporting

People of Doldam Hospital * Kim Hong-pa as Yeo Woon-young : An internal medicine specialist and director of Doldam Hospital. A proud doctor who lost his motivation after the death of his wife. In season two, he was dismissed by Do Yoon-wan as the director of Doldam Hospital. *

Jin Kyung Jin Kyung (born March 27, 1972) is a South Korean actress. Career Jin made her stage debut in 1998 and spent ten years in theater, before becoming active in film and television. She won Best Supporting Actress at the 50th Baeksang Arts Award ...

as Oh Myung-sim : Head nurse. A woman with strong will, who is able to stand up to Kim Sa-bu. She seems strict, but has a warm heart and cares about her patients. *

Im Won-hee Im Won-hee (born October 11, 1970) is a South Korean actor. Im was an alumnus of the legendary Daehangno, Daehak-ro theater troupe ''Mokhwa'' (), starring in many of Jang Jin's stage plays. He made his film debut in Jang's black comedy ''The Happ ...

as Jang Gi-tae : Manager of Doldam Hospital. He is known to be an opportunist and always want the best for the hospital, trying to find ways to promote it in any way he can. * Byun Woo-min as Nam Do-il : A freelance

anesthesiologist Anesthesiology, anaesthesiology, or anaesthesia is the medical specialty concerned with the total perioperative care of patients before, during and after surgery. It encompasses anesthesia, intensive care medicine, critical emergency medicine, ...

. He usually runs a restaurant, but due to his average cooking skills, his only customers are usually Doldam doctors. * Kim Min-jae as Park Eun-tak : A nurse at Doldam Hospital. He harbors a crush on Woo Yeon-hwa. He first met Teacher Kim after being admitted as a patient. It was a life-changing encounter as he then decided to go to

nursing school Nursing is a profession within the health care sector focused on the care of individuals, families, and communities so they may attain, maintain, or recover optimal health and quality of life. Nurses may be differentiated from other health ca ...

and eventually started working at Doldam Hospital himself. *

Seo Eun-soo Lee Jeong-min (; born March 2, 1994) is a South Korean actress and model. Seo made her acting debut in the 2016 television drama '' Don’t Dare to Dream''. Seo received her big break after portraying the role of Seo Ji-soo in the KBS2 family dram ...

as Woo Yeon-hwa : A staff member who likes Dong-joo. Later, she comes back as a doctor at Doldam Hospital. * Lee Gyu-ho as Mr. Gu : An orderly who also serves as guard when there are agitated patients or people at the hospital. *

Shin Dong-wook Shin Dong-wook (born Shin Hwa-shik on September 14, 1982) is a South Korean actor. He is best known for his leading roles in ''Soulmate'' and ''Cloud Stairs'' (both in 2006), and his supporting role in ''War of Money'' (2007). Career In Novembe ...

as Bae Moon-jeong : An

orthopedic surgery Orthopedic surgery or orthopedics ( alternatively spelt orthopaedics), is the branch of surgery concerned with conditions involving the musculoskeletal system. Orthopedic surgeons use both surgical and nonsurgical means to treat musculoskeletal ...

specialist. He was Woo-jin's and Eun-jae's senior at medical school and started working at Doldam Hospital a month prior to his juniors' arrival. *

So Joo-yeon So Joo-yeon (born December 31, 1993) is a South Korean model and actress. She starred in the Korean television series ''Dr. Romantic 2'' (2020). Early life Joo-yeon was born on December 31, 1993, in Singil-dong, Seoul, South Korea. Career 201 ...

as Yoon Ah-reum : A fourth-year emergency medicine resident. She has a bright personality and applied to Doldam Hospital after seeing Teacher Kim help patients in the emergency room of Geosan University Hospital. *

Yoon Na-moo Yoon Na-moo (born August 13, 1985) is a South Korean actor under SM C&C. He is best known for his roles in the Korean television series '' Dr. Romantic'' (2016) and '' Dr. Romantic 2'' (2020). Early life Yoon was born on August 13, 1985 in Seo ...

as Jeong In-soo : An emergency medicine specialist. He is the only doctor who stayed at Doldam among the few who were forced to leave Geosan University Hospital for the branch, back in 2016. * Jung Ji-ahn as Uhm Hyun-jung : An

emergency room An emergency department (ED), also known as an accident and emergency department (A&E), emergency room (ER), emergency ward (EW) or casualty department, is a medical treatment facility specializing in emergency medicine, the acute care of pati ...

nurse. *

Yoon Bo-ra Yoon Bo-ra (born December 30, 1989), better known by the mononym Bora, is a South Korean singer, rapper and actress. She is a former member of the South Korean girl group Sistar and its sub-group Sistar19. Early life and education Bora was bo ...

as Joo Young-mi : An emergency room nurse. She recently started working at Doldam Hospital. * Kim Yong-jin as Chief Lee : Chief of Administration at Doldam Hospital. *

Lee Shin-young Lee Shin-young (born January 24, 1998) is a South Korean model and actor. He rose to fame with the Korean television series ''Crash Landing on You'' (2019), '' How to Buy a Friend'' (2020), and ''Rookie Cops'' (2022). Early life Lee was born on ...

as Jang Dong-hwa : The youngest doctor in Daldam Hospital, which characterizes the MZ generation seeking an independent lifestyle while studying for their third year as a GS. *

Lee Hong-nae Lee Hong-nae (; born January 28, 1990) is a South Korean actor. Early life Lee was born and raised in Yangsan, Gyeongsang-do, where he completed his elementary, middle school and high school. During his high school years, he worked part-time ...

as Lee Sun-woong : A new arrival doctor full of spirit and passion, In which he is a former military doctor. People of Geosan University Hospital * Choi Jin-ho as Do Yoon-wan : Director of Geosan University Hospital. In season two, he became the Chairman of Geosan University Foundation following the death of Shin Myung-ho. Though he is not outstanding as a doctor, his political skills are recognized and he intends to use them to shape Doldam Hospital the way he envisions it. *

Yang Se-jong Yang Se-jong (born December 23, 1992) is a South Korean actor and model. Yang became well known when he starred as a young chef in the 2017 romance drama ''Temperature of Love'' which won him three Best New Actor awards at the SBS Drama Awards, ...

as Do In-bum : Yoon-wan's son. He went to the same college and was in the same class as Dong-joo. He wants to be acknowledged by his father and feels inferior to Dong-joo who has excellent skills without a good background. He also harbours a crush on Seo-jung. *

Jang Hyuk-jin Jang Hyuk-jin (Korean: 장혁진, born Jang Seok-hyeon on 16 August 1971) is a South Korean actor. He graduated from Seoul Institute of the Arts – Department of Theater. He is better known for '' Dr. Romantic'' (2016), ''Suspicious Partner'' ...

as Song Hyun-cheol : Chief of Surgery at Geosan University Hospital. He is from a poor family and has a strong desire for success. *

Joo Hyun Joo Hyun (; born Joo Il-choon, ; March 1, 1943) is a South Korean actor. Biography Joo graduated from Konkuk University in Seoul, where he majored in political science and diplomacy. He began his acting career after being selected through a ...

as Chairman Shin : Owner of Jungsun Casino and the hidden Chairman of Geosan Foundation. Park Min-gook's staff * Go Sang-ho as Yang Ho-joon : A third-year general surgery fellow. He is surgeon's assistant to Park Min-gook. Though Ho-joon fears him, his loyalty to Min-gook led him to follow the doctor to Doldam Hospital. *

Park Hyo-joo Park Hyo-joo (born October 8, 1982) is a South Korean actress. She is best known for her leading role in the period police procedural ''Chosun Police Season 1'' (also known as ''Byeolsungeom''), as well as her supporting roles in the hit film ''P ...

as Shim Hye-jin : A professor of anesthesiology at Geosan University Hospital. She is an authoritative but kind woman who experienced death and suffering in her life. * Bae Myung-jin as Heo Yeong-gyoo : A nurse at Geosan University Hospital.

Others

Seo Young Seo Young (; born June 21, 1984) is a South Korean actress. She debuted in the 2006 Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation (MBC) drama What's Up Fox. In 2010, she started her own clothing store called Shine S.

as Chairman Shin's assistant * Kim Ji-eun as Yoon-wan's secretary *

Park Min-jung Park Min-jung is a South Korean actress. She is known for her roles in dramas such as '' The Smile Has Left Your Eyes'', ''Mad Dog'', ''The Tale of Nokdu'' and ''Nobody Knows''. She also appeared in movies ''The Wrath'', '' S.I.U'', '' The Concu ...

as Min-jung * Kim Bo-jung as a nurse * Lee Chae-eun as a nurse * Jin Ah-rin *

Lee Yong-yi Lee Yong-yi (; born July 30, 1958) is a theater, television and movie actress. She is known for her role as Nomo both in theater play and film ''Welcome to Dongmakgol'' (2005) and Netflix Series ''Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha'' (2021). Career After g ...

as a mother of a patient (Ep. 3) * Ri Min as a truck driver (Ep. 4) * Lee Jin-kwon * Ko Jin-ho * Lee Cheol-min as Kang Seung-ho (Ep. 7–8) * Lee Myung-haeng as a psychotherapist (Ep. 8–9) *

Shin Seung-hwan Shin Seung-hwan is a South Korean actor. Filmography Film Television series Web series Television show Web shows References External links * * * Shin Seung-hwanat Daum Shin Seung-hwanat Naver Naver (Hangul: 네이버) is ...

as a webtoon writer and patient at Doldam hospital (Ep. 9–10) * Park Seung-tae as a patient (Ep. 10) * Kim Joon-won as Inspector Choi * Kim Dan-woo as Inspector Choi's daughter * Shin Yeon-suk * Lee Kang-uk as a patient and driver who caused a six-fold collision by drunk driving * Lee Jae-wook * Heo Joon-seok * Kang Eui-sik as Park Joo-hyuk, the runaway soldier * Han Kab-soo as Park Joo-hyuk's father * Son Yeong-Soon as a patient's wife * Park Yeong-soo as the general manager of the Disease Control Center Department *

Park Doo-shik Park Doo-shik (born 1 January 1988) is a South Korean actor. He is known for his main roles in movie Gangsters (2019) and dramas such as Drama Stage Season 2: All About My Rival in Love, Heroes (2015). Park also appeared in the famous and popula ...

as Soo-jung's boyfriend (Ep. 13–14) *

Lee Jin-kwon Lee Jin-kwon (born 22 January 1991) is a South Korean actor and singer. He is best known for his supporting roles in ''Untouchable Lawman'', '' The Magician'' and ''Gangnam Blues ''Gangnam Blues'' (; lit. ''Gangnam 1970'') is a 2015 South Kor ...

as Supporting * Jo I-hyun as a patient *

Jeon Min-seo Jeon Min-seo (born 20 May 2003) is a South Korean actress. She began her career as a child actress, notably in the television dramas ''Good Job, Good Job'' and ''Prime Minister & I ''Prime Minister & I'' () is a 2013 South Korean televisio ...

* Jung Soo-hwan as a high school student * Kim Se-joon as a paramedic transferring patients to Doldam Hospital * Kim Min-sang as Reporter Oh Sung-jae (Ep. 16–17) * Lee Jae-woo as Ahn woo-yeol (Ep. 16–17) * Kim Ji-eun as President Do Yoon-wan's secretary * Lee Jung-sung * Lee Ho-cheol as

loan shark A loan shark is a person who offers loans at extremely high interest rates, has strict terms of collection upon failure, and generally operates outside the law. Description Because loan sharks operate mostly illegally, they cannot reasonably ...

* Lim Cheol-soo as loan shark * Kim Jong-tae as Professor Oh :A professor of cardiothoracic surgery at Geosan University Hospital. * Kang Yoo-seok as Joon Young :A prisoner and patient. * Kim Jin as Choi Soon-young :A

paramedic A paramedic is a registered healthcare professional who works autonomously across a range of health and care settings and may specialise in clinical practice, as well as in education, leadership, and research. Not all ambulance personnel are p ...

and

organ donor Organ donation is the process when a person allows an organ of their own to be removed and transplanted to another person, legally, either by consent while the donor is alive or dead with the assent of the next of kin. Donation may be for re ...

. * Lee Ji-hyun as Soon-young's mother * Kwon Hyeok-soo as Mr. Ryu :Minister of National Defense. * Kim Dong-hyun as a violent husband *

Lee Geung-young Lee Geung-young (born December 12, 1960) is a South Korean actor. He graduated from the Department of Drama in Seoul. He debuted in 1977 and after completing his mandatory military service, he debuted in 1982 as the 10th public relations actor fo ...

: Eun-jae's father. * Ha Dong-joon * Seo Dong-hyun

Special appearances

Tae In-ho Tae In-ho (born Park Sang-yeon; May 2, 1980) is a South Korean actor. He starred in television series such as '' Misaeng: Incomplete Life'' (2014) and '' Descendants of the Sun'' (2016). Filmography Films Television series Web series ...

as Dr. Moon Tae-hwa, Yoon Seo-jung's boyfriend. He died due to brain hemorrhage after a car accident. (Ep. 1–2) *

Moon Ji-in Moon Ji-in (born Moon Ji-eun on March 1, 1986) is a South Korean actress. She is best known for her role in the 2016 SBS television series '' The Doctors''. Career On February 3, 2012, Moon signed an exclusive contract with Entertainment TONG. ...

as a doctor and Yoon Seo-jung's friend (Ep. 1) *

Hwang Chan-sung Hwang Chan-sung ( ko, 황찬성, born February 11, 1990), also known mononymously as Chansung, is a South Korean singer, rapper, songwriter and actor. He is a member of the Korean boy band 2PM. He made his debut as an actor in the 2006 comedy ...

as Young Gyun (Ep. 8, 11–12) *

Kim Jung-young Kim Jung-young ( born on 27 July 1972) is a South Korean actress. She made her acting debut in 2000 in films, since then, she has appeared in number of plays, films and television series. She got recognition for her supporting roles in ''Clean w ...

as Dong-joo's mom *

Kim Hye-eun Kim Hye-eun ( born March 1, 1973) is a South Korean actress. Kim began working as an announcer for the MBC network in 1997, first at a local affiliate in Cheongju, then later as a weathercaster of the main news desk in Seoul. After eight years ...

as Shin Hyun-jung (Ep. 14–18) *

Kim Hye-soo Kim Hye-soo (; born September 5, 1970) is a South Korean actress. Kim was one of the most popular teen stars in the 1980s and 1990s. She is known for her headstrong independence and regularly playing strong-willed, sophisticated women. Kim bega ...

as Dr. Lee Young-jo (Ep. 20–21) *

as Shin Myung-ho (Ep. 1) *

as Do In-beom (Ep 10, 14–15) *

Jung Hyeon-jun Jung Hyeon-jun ( ko, 정현준; born November 8, 2011), is a South Korean child actor. He is best known internationally for his role as Park Da-song in the Academy Award-winning film ''Parasite Parasitism is a close relationship between ...

as Lee Dong-woo's son (Ep. 13) *

Jeong Bo-seok Jeong Bo-seok (; born 1961) is a South Korean actor. Filmography Television series Film Television show Theater Awards and nominations References External linksJung Bo-seok Fan Cafeat Daum * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Jeon ...

as Bae Moon-jeong's father (Ep. 15–16) *

as Manager Joo (Ep. 15–16) *

as Shin Hyun-jung (Ep. 16) *

Joo Hyun-young Kim Hyun-young (; born January 14, 1996) better known by her stage name Joo Hyun-young (), is a South Korean actress. She gained recognition for her appearances in comedy-variety show ''SNL Korea'' in 2021 and television series ''Extraordinary A ...

* Ha Yoon-kyung * Joo Jong-hyuk * Im Seong-jae

Production

Season 1

First script reading took place September 13, 2016, at SBS Ilsan Production Studios in

Goyang Goyang (''Goyang-si''; ) is a city in Gyeonggi Province in the north of South Korea. It is part of the Seoul Capital Area, making Goyang one of Seoul's satellite cities. It is one of the largest cities in the Seoul Capital Area, with a populatio ...

Gyeonggi Province Gyeonggi-do (, ) is the most populous province in South Korea. Its name, ''Gyeonggi'', means "京 (the capital) and 畿 (the surrounding area)". Thus, ''Gyeonggi-do'' can be translated as "Seoul and the surrounding areas of Seoul". Seoul, the na ...

South Korea South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia, constituting the southern part of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and sharing a Korean Demilitarized Zone, land border with North Korea. Its western border is formed ...

. Filming started on September 23.

Season 2

The first script reading took place in September 2019 at SBS Ilsan Production Studios in

, Kim Hong-pa,

, Byun Woo-min, Kim Min-jae, Choi Jin-ho, Jang Hyuk-jin,

, Lee Gyu-ho and

reprised their roles from the first season.

Season 3

In September 2021, it was reported that production for Season 3 would begin in late 2021, but filming had to be postponed due to the actor's schedule and the outbreak of the COVID-19 virus. Season 3 is scheduled to be filmed with the goal of broadcasting in the first half of 2023.

, Byun Woo-min, Jung Ji-an,

, Kim Min-jae, Shin Dong-wook, Yoon Bora,

and

has confirmed the casting for season 3.

Original soundtrack

Season 1

Season 2

Reception

Audience viewership

Awards and nominations

References

External links

Dr. Romantic (Season 1)
at SBS
Dr. Romantic (Season 2)
at SBS * * * {{Works by Samhwa Networks Korean-language television shows Seoul Broadcasting System television dramas 2016 South Korean television series debuts 2017 South Korean television series endings 2020 South Korean television series debuts 2020 South Korean television series endings South Korean medical television series South Korean melodrama television series South Korean romance television series Television shows written by Kang Eun-kyung Television series by Samhwa Networks