2019 South Korean television series
Doctor John Promotional poster
Hangul 의사요한
Literal meaning Doctor Yo-han Revised Romanization Uisayohan Genre Medical drama Created by SBS Drama Operation Team Based on On Hand of God Written by Kim Ji-woon Directed by Starring Music by Moon Seong-nam [ko ] Country of origin South Korea Original language Korean No. of episodes 16[ a] Production Producer Jang Jin-wook Camera setup Single-camera Running time 70 minutes[ a] Production company Original release Network SBS TV Release July 19 (2019-07-19 ) – (2019-09-07 )
Doctor John Korean : 의사요한 RR : Uisayohan South Korean television series starringJi Sung ,Lee Se-young ,Lee Kyu-hyung , andHwang Hee . It is based on the Japanese novelOn Hand of God by Yo Kusakabe[ 2] SBS from July 19 to September 7, 2019.[ 3]
A recurring theme throughout the series is the debate overeuthanasia .[ 4]
Cha Yo-han (Ji Sung ) is a doctor of anesthesiology. He acts strangely sometimes, but he is a genius at his work. Kang Shi-young (Lee Se-young ) is a resident of anesthesiology who works with Cha Yo-han. She is smart, warm and listens carefully to her patients. People with mysterious acute or chronic pain come to the hospital. There, Cha Yo-han and Kang Shi-young try to find the causes of their pain and treat them.
Ji Sung as Cha Yo-han / John Cha[ 5] Park Shi-wan as young Yo-han A talented anesthesiologist who spent three years in prison for performingeuthanasia on a dying patient whose pain he could not reduce. He is often called "Ten Seconds" as he can diagnose one's disease very quickly. He secretly suffers fromCIPA until it was exposed by Chae Eun-jeong, who held hatred towards Yo-han for ending the life of her daughter's murderer with euthanasia. A second year resident who was a top student at medical school. She took a break during her studies after she could not save her father in an accident. She decides to come back to the hospital after working in the prison where she met Yo-han. A prosecutor who is against the practice of euthanasia. He was present during Yo-han's trial and wanted to sentence him to ten years in prison. He holds a grudge against the doctor who ended the life of Yoon Seong-kyu, a murderer who killed Seok-ki's son. He suffers fromstomach cancer . It is also shown that he is an opponent to thedeath penalty , viewing it as an act nothing less than murder, albeit a legally-sanctioned one. A fellow of the Anesthesiology Department. He first wants to prove Yo-han wrong as the doctor corrected his misdiagnosis twice when he was an inmate, but eventually decides to learn from him instead. A nurse at a hospice center. Yo-han ended the life of her daughter's murderer, terminal cancer patient Yoon Seong-kyu — who also killed Seok-ki's son — which causes Eun-jeong to hate Yo-han, and become an antagonist. Hanse Hospital Pain Management Team [ edit ] A third year resident and Shi-young's younger sister who is allergic to animal hair, including cats. She has a strained relationship with Shi-young over the health of their comatose father. A fourth year resident. Oh Hyun-joong as Kim Won-hee[ 9] A first year resident. A nurse with 20 years of experience. A nurse with 3 years of experience. People at Hanse Hospital [ edit ] Chief of the Anesthesiology Department. Shi-young and Mi-rae's mother. A lawyer specializing in medical affairs. Director of Hanse Hospital. Oh Seung-hyun as Min Joo-kyeong[ 10] Professor of the Anesthesiology Department. Shi-young and Mi-rae's aunt. Jung Jae-sung as Kwon Seok[ 12] Professor of the Anesthesiology Department. An anal cancer patient. He was a child murderer who murdered Seok-ki's son and Eun-jeong's daughter, but before he could be punished by law, Seong-kyu was hospitalised for terminal cancer. Yo-han allegedly ended his life with euthanasia as Seong-kyu could not bear the torment of his illness any longer. Inmate 5353 who suffers fromFabry disease . Also a barista. A Mixed Martial Arts Champion who suffers frommyasthenia gravis . ACIPA patient and high school student. Lee Ju-won as Choi Seung-won Ashingles patient (first mistaken forCRPS ). Lee Do-kyung as Yu Dok-gyu Amelioidosis patient. Chun Young-min as Lee Da-hae Aphantom limb patient. A former actress who suffers fromneuroblastoma . Jang Hee-soo as professor A professor of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine. Kim Gyul as Seong Dong-ho A professor of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine. Former Minister of Health and Welfare. He supports the practice of euthanasia. Moon Hak-jin as Kim Jung-woo A third year resident in ophthalmology. Kim Seung-hoon as a prison guard Special appearances [ edit ] Jeon No-min as Kang I-soo, hospital's chairman and Shi-young's father.[ 13] Jung In-gi as Oh Jeong-nam, Shi-young's uncle and prison warden.[ 13] Jung Kyung-soon as Yoo-joon's mother and owner of a restaurant. Lim Dong-jin as Shim Joon-cheol, a neurology professor and Yo-han's doctor.According to director Jo Soo-won, the series was in development since 2014, the year when SBS bought the rights to adapt Yo Kusakabe'sOn Hand of God as a TV series.[ 14]
Early working titles of the series wereDoctor Room (Korean : 닥터룸 Pain Doctor Cha Yo-han (Korean : 통증의사 차요한 [ 15]
The first script reading took place in March 2019 at SBS Ilsan Production Center in Tanhyun, South Korea.[ 16]
Original soundtrack [ edit ] Released on July 26, 2019 (2019-07-26 ) [ 17] No. Title Lyrics Music Artist Length 1. "Way Back" Ha-na Safira.K 3:30 2. "Way Back" (Inst.) 3:30 Total length: 7:00
Released on August 2, 2019 (2019-08-02 ) [ 18] No. Title Lyrics Music Artist Length 1. "Look At" MYK MYK SALTNPAPER 3:16 2. "Look At" (Inst.) MYK 3:16 Total length: 6:32
Released on August 9, 2019 (2019-08-09 ) [ 19] No. Title Lyrics Music Artist Length 1. "Star" Kim Young-sung Song Chan-ran Kim Young-sung Song Chan-ran Minseo 3:53 2. "Star" (Inst.) Kim Young-sung Song Chan-ran 3:53 Total length: 7:46
Released on August 16, 2019 (2019-08-16 ) [ 20] No. Title Lyrics Music Artist Length 1. "Pain or Death" Moon Sung-nam Moon Sung-nam Simji Gravity Samuel Seo 4:28 2. "Pain or Death" (Inst.) Moon Sung-nam Simji Gravity 4:28 Total length: 8:56
Released on August 23, 2019 (2019-08-23 ) [ 21] No. Title Lyrics Music Artist Length 1. "Just Go" Moon Sung-nam Moon Sung-nam Baek A-yeon 3:42 2. "Just Go" (Inst.) Moon Sung-nam 3:42 Total length: 7:24
Released on August 30, 2019 (2019-08-30 ) [ 22] No. Title Lyrics Music Artist Length 1. "Way Back (Acoustic Ver.)" Ha-na Jinsil 3:40 2. "Way Back (Acoustic Ver.)" (Inst.) 3:40 Total length: 7:20
Released on September 6, 2019 (2019-09-06 ) [ 23] No. Title Lyrics Music Artist Length 1. "Reason" (이유) Tree Tube Tree Tube Tree Tube 3:39 2. "Reason" (Inst.) Tree Tube 3:39 Total length: 7:18
Disc 2: No. Title Artist Length 1. "Golden Hour" Romantisco 1:24 2. "Run" Jeong Cha-sik 3:10 3. "Life Cycle" Moon Sung-nam 1:27 4. "Actually" Son Han-mook 2:57 5. "Into the Room" Kim Yung-jin 1:33 6. "Morning Star" Lee Hye-rim 3:04 7. "Fatal" No Sa-ra 2:45 8. "Coming Home" (Guitar Roman) Moon Sung-nam 2:56 9. "Pulse" Jeong Cha-sik 1:24 10. "Pure Death" Romantisco 3:08 11. "Serene Death" Son Han-mook 3:01 12. "Day Off" Kim Hong-gap 3:22 13. "Memories" Moon Sung-nam 3:59 14. "Mad Cello" Jeong Cha-sik 3:29 15. "Creeping Monster" Kim Yung-jin 1:15 16. "Jest" Romantisco 1:50 17. "Decision" Son Han-mook 3:47 18. "Pain or Death" (Guitar Sad) Moon Sung-nam 3:15 19. "Obsession" Lee Hye-rim 2:23 20. "Remembrance" No Sa-ra 2:48 21. "Coming Home" (Strings) Moon Sung-nam 4:40 22. "Missing" Romantisco 2:15 23. "An Unpleasant Memory" Son Han-mook 2:37 24. "Swear" Jeong Cha-sik 3:32
Doctor john : South Korea viewers per episode (millions)
Episodes Episode number 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 1–16 1.030 1.460 1.305 1.933 1.330 2.066 1.498 2.129 1.486 1.847 1.406 1.877 1.476 1.972 1.397 2.019 17–32 1.330 1.707 1.164 1.843 1.268 1.547 0.961 1.527 1.223 1.526 0.958 1.659 1.209 1.483 1.205 1.922
Source: Audience measurement performed nationwide by
Nielsen Media Research .
[ 24] Ep. Original broadcast date Title Average audience share[ 25] Nationwide Seoul 1 July 19, 2019 Between Hope and Despair 희망과 절망 사이 6.0%(16th) 6.3%(15th) 2 8.4%(8th) 8.7%(7th) 3 July 20, 2019 A 0.00001% Hope 0.00001%의 희망 7.0%(15th) 7.5%(9th) 4 10.1%(4th) 11.3%(3rd) 5 July 26, 2019 Champion 챔피언 7.7%(11th) 8.0%(11th) 6 12.3% (2nd) 13.0% (2nd) 7 July 27, 2019 About Fears 두려움에 대하여 8.0%(8th) 8.5%(6th) 8 11.2%(3rd) 11.3%(4th) 9 August 2, 2019 21g, The Weight of the Soul 21그램, 영혼의 무게 8.5%(7th) 9.3%(8th) 10 10.8%(3rd) 11.5%(3rd) 11 August 3, 2019 World Without Pain 고통 없는 세계 6.9%(11th) 7.6%(7th) 12 9.2%(4th) 10.2%(3rd) 13 August 9, 2019 Secrets and Lies 비밀과 거짓말 7.9%(8th) 8.2%(8th) 14 10.3%(4th) 11.2%(3rd) 15 August 10, 2019 Understanding Someone 누군가를 이해한다는 것은 7.3%(12th) 8.4%(6th) 16 10.1%(4th) 11.3%(3rd) 17 August 16, 2019 Terminal: Terminal and Incurable Terminal: 말기의, 불치의 7.2%(11th) 7.9%(10th) 18 9.2%(7th) 9.5%(7th) 19 August 17, 2019 Foreboding on a Crisp Afternoon 화창한 오후의 불길한 예감 6.5%(16th) 7.1%(10th) 20 9.4%(3rd) 9.9%(3rd) 21 August 23, 2019 Consolation 위로 7.5%(9th) 8.4%(8th) 22 9.2%(5th) 9.9%(5th) 23 August 24, 2019 Schrödinger's Cat 슈뢰딩거의 고양이 5.5% (18th) 5.9% (15th) 24 8.0%(4th) 8.8%(3rd) 25 August 30, 2019 The Promise to Try 노력한다는 그 약속 7.1%(10th) 8.1%(8th) 26 8.6%(6th) 9.0%(6th) 27 August 31, 2019 A Certain Choice 어떤 선택 5.5% (18th) 6.1%(11th) 28 8.8%(3rd) 9.8%(3rd) 29 September 6, 2019 The Heart of the One Who Leaves 떠나는 사람의 마음 6.3%(14th) 7.1%(11th) 30 8.1%(7th) 8.7%(5th) 31 September 7, 2019 Farewell, I Hope to Meet You Again Someday 이별은, 언젠가 다시 만나길 바라는 6.7%(17th) 7.3%(18th) 32 10.2%(6th) 11.3%(3rd) Average 8.3% 9.0%
Awards and nominations [ edit ] ^a b In order to circumvent Korean laws that prevent commercial breaks in the middle of an episode, what would previously have been aired as single 70 minute episodes are now being repackaged as two 35 minute episodes, with two episodes being shown each night with a commercial break between the two.[ 1] ^ Park, Jin-hai (May 16, 2017)."Drama viewers angry over commercial breaks" .The Korea Times Archived from the original on August 19, 2020. RetrievedApril 17, 2020 – viaPressReader . ^ Tae, Yoo-na (April 17, 2019)."이세영, '닥터룸' 주연 확정...지성과 호흡 (공식)" .The Korea Economic Daily Archived from the original on June 23, 2021. RetrievedApril 17, 2019 . ^ Jang, Sun-ye (April 17, 2019)." .SBS News (in Korean).Archived from the original on March 5, 2022. RetrievedApril 17, 2019 . ^ Lee, Ji-young (August 5, 2019)." .JoongAng Ilbo Archived from the original on August 5, 2019. RetrievedSeptember 18, 2019 . ^ Lee, Da-kyeom (January 17, 2019)."지성 측 "'닥터룸' 男 주인공 출연 제안 받아...검토 중"(공식)" .MBN News (in Korean).Archived from the original on April 17, 2019. RetrievedApril 17, 2019 . ^ Park, Soo-in (March 11, 2019)."이세영 측 "'닥터룸' 제안받고 검토중" 지성과 만날까(공식입장)" .Newsen (in Korean).Archived from the original on April 17, 2019. RetrievedApril 17, 2019 . ^ Park, Soo-in (April 12, 2019)."이규형 측 "'닥터룸' 출연 확정" 서울남부지검 검사된다(공식입장)" .Newsen (in Korean).Archived from the original on September 4, 2020. RetrievedApril 17, 2019 . ^ Go, Jae-won (July 7, 2019)." .Sports Chosun Archived from the original on April 11, 2021. RetrievedSeptember 20, 2019 . ^a b c d e Kim, Na-kyung (July 14, 2019)." .Hankyung (in Korean).Archived from the original on September 20, 2019. RetrievedSeptember 20, 2019 . ^a b Yu, In-seon (July 13, 2019)." .Sports Khan (in Korean).Archived from the original on February 4, 2021. RetrievedSeptember 20, 2019 . ^ Na, Geum-joo (August 16, 2019)." .Xports News (in Korean).Archived from the original on August 13, 2020. RetrievedSeptember 20, 2019 . ^a b Jo, Young-kyung (July 27, 2019)." .JTBC (in Korean).Archived from the original on September 20, 2019. RetrievedSeptember 20, 2019 . ^a b Jung, An-ji (July 13, 2019)." .The Chosun Ilbo Archived from the original on July 13, 2019. RetrievedSeptember 20, 2019 . ^ " .Archived from the original on 2021-02-04. Retrieved2020-01-01 .^ Lee, Jung-hyeon (June 5, 2019)."지성의 '닥터룸'→'통증의사 차요한' 변경…내달 방송" .Yonhap News Agency Archived from the original on July 19, 2020. RetrievedSeptember 18, 2019 . ^ Jang, Woo-young (June 24, 2019)." .Osen (in Korean).Naver .Archived from the original on February 4, 2021. RetrievedSeptember 18, 2019 . ^ Park, Hyun-sook (July 26, 2019)."가수 사피라K가 부른 드라마 '의사 요한' 첫 번째 OST 'Way Back' 발매" .Sports Khan (in Korean).Archived from the original on February 4, 2021. RetrievedSeptember 18, 2019 . ^ Kim, Joo-hee (August 2, 2019)."솔튼페이퍼, 드라마 '의사요한' 두번째 OST 'LOOK at' 부른다" .Sedaily (in Korean).Archived from the original on April 27, 2023. RetrievedSeptember 18, 2019 . ^ Woo, Bin (August 9, 2019)."민서, '의사요한' OST 참여…지성♥이세영 애틋한 마음 노래" .The Korea Economic Daily Archived from the original on February 4, 2021. RetrievedSeptember 18, 2019 . ^ Kim, Joo-hee (August 16, 2019)." .Sedaily (in Korean).Archived from the original on November 26, 2020. RetrievedSeptember 18, 2019 . ^ Oh, Soo-jung (August 23, 2019)."백아연, '의사요한' OST 가창자로 나선다...'Just Go' 공개" .Xports News (in Korean).Archived from the original on April 18, 2021. RetrievedSeptember 18, 2019 . ^ Kim, Joo-hee (August 30, 2019)." .Sedaily (in Korean).Archived from the original on April 27, 2023. RetrievedSeptember 18, 2019 . ^ Kim, Joo-hee (September 6, 2019)." .Sedaily (in Korean).Archived from the original on April 30, 2023. RetrievedSeptember 18, 2019 . ^ "Nielsen Korea" .AGB Nielsen Media Research (in Korean).Archived from the original on January 29, 2021. RetrievedJuly 19, 2019 .^ "Nielsen Korea" (in Korean).Archived from the original on March 17, 2017. RetrievedJuly 19, 2019 .^a b " .Sedaily (in Korean). September 27, 2019.Archived from the original on September 27, 2019. RetrievedSeptember 27, 2019 .
As production company As planner/creator/
