Kim Ji Won Talks About Her Socially Awkward Genius Surgeon Character In “Doctor X”
Kim Ji Won has shared more insights into her upcoming drama “Doctor X”!
Based on the hit Japanese series of the same name, “Doctor X” is a medical noir drama that follows “Doctor X” Gye Soo Jung (Kim Ji Won), a genius surgeon who proves what it truly means to be a doctor through pure skill alone as she operates on a corruption-ridden establishment.
In “Doctor X,” Kim Ji Won is set to undergo her most intense character transformation yet in her first drama in two years. Regarding why she chose “Doctor X” as her comeback project, Kim Ji Won explained, “I was drawn to the gap between Gye Soo Jung’s outward appearance and the new sides of her that you discover the more you look into her. I wanted to portray that appeal well.”
She continued, “Gye Soo Jung is someone who has exiled herself into the darkness and devoted herself solely to her surgical skills. To others, the title ‘genius surgeon’ may seem fitting, but after getting a glimpse into the path she has taken, I came to see her less as a ‘genius’ and more as someone who has simply done her best with a desperate determination to do what she can.”
Kim Ji Won also highlighted how Gye Soo Jung differs from typical protagonists in medical dramas, pointing to her unique way of expressing her sense of duty. “If a sense of justice and duty is something medical drama protagonists tend to have in common, Gye Soo Jung expresses these qualities differently,” she said. “Because she has devoted most of her abilities to surgical skills, she is somewhat clumsy when it comes to emotional areas such as social skills and flexibility.”
“Sometimes, seeing Gye Soo Jung’s lack of social skills despite her flawless surgical abilities made me laugh,” she added. “I tried to portray these contrasting sides well.”
Kim Ji Won also underwent extensive preparation to portray the “dark hero genius doctor” who is completely absorbed in surgery. “I learned the surgical techniques needed for the operating room scenes from our medical advisor and spent plenty of time getting comfortable with them,” she shared. “Gye Soo Jung’s genius is connected not only to the surgery scenes but also to the drama’s overall narrative, so I also tried to bring that same energy into my acting.”
Speaking about working with director Lee Jeong Rim—who previously directed Netflix’s “As You Stood By” and SBS’s “Revenant”—for the first time, Kim Ji Won revealed that her on-set style was different from what she had expected. “I was curious because I had really enjoyed her previous works,” she said. “Since she has directed many charismatic projects, I expected her directing style to be straightforward and bold as well. But in reality, rather than deciding on an answer in advance, she had a delicate approach of working closely with the actors on set to shape each scene together.”
She added, “So I also brought various analyses of the character and built Gye Soo Jung within the director’s direction, and that process remains especially memorable to me.”
Kim Ji Won also teased her character’s highly anticipated friendship with Lee Jung Eun. “For Gye Soo Jung, Jang Hee Sook (Lee Jung Eun) is someone who acts as a ‘safe haven’—sometimes a boss, sometimes an aunt, and sometimes a friend,” she said. “Lee Jung Eun was like that for me as well. It was a set where I learned a lot about both the responsibility and joy of being an actor.”
She also hinted at a memorable action scene for Lee Jung Eun, saying, “There’s a major action scene involving Jang Hee Sook, so you can look forward to it.”
Kim Ji Won also expressed her gratitude to her co-stars, including Son Hyun Joo, Kim Woo Seok, Lee Jin Hee, Kim Young Min, Lee Sung Wook, Heo Joon Seok, Kim Young Ah, and Kwon Seung Woo. “Thanks to these actors, Gye Soo Jung and ‘Doctor X’ felt even more three-dimensional and vibrant,” she said. “It was a precious set where I personally learned and experienced so much.”
Finally, Kim Ji Won pointed to the drama’s unique premise as a key point to watch. “I think the concept of doctors being dispatched through a medical staffing agency itself will be a fresh point of interest,” she said. “As viewers follow the stories Gye Soo Jung creates at Guseo University Hospital after being dispatched through the agency, they will encounter various stories surrounding each character’s choices, regrets, desires, and pain.”
“Doctor X” will premiere on October 9 at 9:50 p.m. KST.
While you wait, watch Kim Ji Won in “Fight My Way”:
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