Doctor X: Mafia in White: Cast, Episode Guide, and Everything You Need to Know

Last updated: October 26, 2026. This page is updated as new episodes air.

I’ve been writing about K-dramas since 2008, and I can count on one hand the medical dramas that grabbed me by the collar the way Doctor X: Mafia in White did. SBS’s new Friday-Saturday medical noir starring Kim Ji-won premiered on October 9, 2026 with an 11.4% nationwide rating, the highest debut of any 2026 miniseries. Six episodes later, it’s sitting at 19.5%, with a peak of 21.3%, and each Friday and Saturday keeps beating the same night’s previous record.

Here’s your complete guide: what it’s about, who’s in it, every episode with my recap links, and where to watch.

Drama Overview

A Korean adaptation of the Japanese drama Doctor-X: Surgeon Michiko Daimon.

Synopsis

Gye Su-jeong (Kim Ji-won) is a freelance surgeon with a nickname that says it all: the “mad genius” of the operating room. She’s paid per operation, she doesn’t do paperwork or small talk, and she walks out at exactly 6 p.m., even when the day isn’t going the way anyone planned. Her agent, Jang Hee-sook, rents her out to hospitals that need a surgeon the regular staff can’t match.

Her latest stop is Guseo University Medical Center (GUMC), a hospital run by a hierarchy of senior doctors who protect each other, their reputations and their donors before they protect patients. Su-jeong has no interest in earning anyone’s approval. She fixes what’s broken, usually with a sharp remark attached, and watches the pecking order crack.

Underneath the case-of-the-week surface, there’s a mystery. A fire at the White Wings Medical Corps, flashbacks to a battlefield in Lagota, and a rumor about a “Doctor X” who used the same surgical method as Su-jeong all hint at a past she hasn’t explained to anyone.

This synopsis is spoiler-light. My recaps, linked below, are not.

Cast and Characters

Main Cast

Kim Ji-won as Gye Su-jeong The title character. A freelance surgeon who answers to no one at GUMC and has the skills to back it up. Kim Ji-won lowered her speaking voice and went for a sharp chin-length bob with minimal makeup to play her, and the change really shows. This is her return to television after Queen of Tears.

Lee Jung-eun as Jang Hee-sook The money-minded head of the staffing agency that places Su-jeong in hospitals. Funny, scheming and fiercely protective of her best earner.

Son Hyun-joo as Bu Seung-gwon A GUMC director who is trying to rebuild a failing hospital. The show’s most morally gray figure, and the one I’m still trying to figure out.

Kim Woo-seok as Park Tae-gyeong An earnest intern at GUMC who becomes Su-jeong’s unofficial sidekick. He brings warmth and a lot of the show’s lighter moments.

Supporting Cast

Episode Guide

New episodes air every Friday and Saturday on SBS at 21:50 KST. International viewers can stream on Netflix alongside the Korean broadcast. Need the local time? Try my KST to US Time Converter.

Episode titles are my own recap headlines, not official titles. Dates for episodes 7 to 12 follow the Friday-Saturday schedule, with the finale set for November 14. Recap links go live within 24 hours of each episode airing.

Where to Watch

• South Korea: SBS (live broadcast, Friday & Saturday at 21:50 KST)
• International: Netflix, with new episodes arriving weekly alongside the Korean broadcast

Ratings Snapshot (Nielsen Korea, as of October 26, 2026)

Every episode so far has set a new personal best for its night of the week, and the series has also held the top spot on Netflix Korea’s Top 10 for two straight weeks. It isn’t all praise, though: some members of the medical community have criticized the show’s medical accuracy, even as viewers keep tuning in.

Why It’s Worth Watching

Here’s what hooked me. Most medical dramas ask you to admire doctors who sacrifice everything for their patients. Doctor X does the opposite. It follows a surgeon who sacrifices nothing she doesn’t have to, and then it lets the hospital’s own hypocrisy do the damage. Watching Su-jeong clock out at 6 p.m. mid-argument never gets old, and the show knows exactly when to turn that joke into something heavier.

My favorite moments so far? The elevator door slamming on Dae-il in Episode 4, Seong-jin sitting alone at night with the memory of a friend the hospital failed in Episode 3, and the photo-op scene in Episode 6 that made me want to throw something at my screen. The mystery of Su-jeong’s past keeps the weekly cases from feeling like filler, and Kim Ji-won, Lee Jung-eun and Kim Woo-seok are a joy to watch together.

Watch it if you like: Agent Kim Reactivated, Taxi Driver, The Trauma Code: Heroes on Call, or any drama where the system is the real villain.

Provisional Score: 8.2/10

That’s the average of my six episode scores so far (8, 8.5, 8, 8, 8.5, 8). It’s a confident, consistent run: sharp lead performance, a mystery that keeps its hooks in, and a villain arc that paid off in Episode 5. The score stays in the low 8s because some episodes try to pack in too many subplots. I’ll update this number after each episode and again after the finale.

FAQ

How many episodes does Doctor X: Mafia in White have? The drama has 12 episodes, airing from October 9 to November 14, 2026.

When do new episodes air? Every Friday and Saturday at 21:50 KST on SBS.

Where can I watch Doctor X: Mafia in White? It streams on Netflix alongside the SBS broadcast.

Is Doctor X: Mafia in White a remake? Yes. It’s a Korean adaptation of the Japanese drama Doctor-X: Surgeon Michiko Daimon.

Who plays Gye Su-jeong? Kim Ji-won plays the freelance surgeon at the center of the story.

This page is updated as new episodes air. Bookmark it for recap links, scores and ratings updates.