Top 12 Hottest Korean Medical Dramas

Dr. Romantic - Medical Series is a heartfelt drama directed by Yoo In-shik. This medical series received prestigious awards at the 2017 Baek Sang Art Awards. The authentic performances of veteran actors such as Han Suk-kyu, Yoo Yeon-seok, Lee Sung-kyung, contributed to its success.

The drama gently guides viewers through various emotional stages with stories set in the hospital. It revolves around young, passionate doctors from a top hospital in Korea who unexpectedly face a crisis and are forced to transfer to a small countryside hospital. Here, they meet a highly skilled yet strict mentor. These talented doctors not only receive professional knowledge but also undergo rigorous training to become compassionate physicians, prioritizing saving lives over status or material wealth. The series has two parts with different casts, but both deliver compelling narratives about the medical profession and the romantic relationships between the characters.

Details:

• Duration: 53 episodes (60 minutes/episode)
• Genres: Romance, Drama, Medical
• Director: Yoo In-shik
• Main Cast: Yoo Yeon-seok, Seo Hyun-jin (Part 1), Ahn Hyo-seop, Lee Sung-kyung (Part 2), Han Suk-kyu

Hospital Playlist - Doctors' Stories is produced by director Shin Won-ho and features renowned actors such as Jo Jung-suk, Yoo Yeon-seok, Jung Kyung-ho, Kim Dae-myung, Jeon Mi-do. The series portrays the lives of doctors, nurses, and patients at a hospital. Five doctors all entered the same medical school in 1999. They are now friends and work together at the same hospital.

The show mainly revolves around these five experienced doctors who are also young professors at YULJE Hospital, one of Korea's top hospitals. While the series doesn't delve too deeply into medical knowledge, it focuses more on the personal lives of the doctors. Through its plotlines, viewers will be captivated by the script, performances, production values, and the humane lessons about the medical profession conveyed by the series.

Details:

• Duration: Season 1: 12 + 1 special episodes, Season 2: 12 episodes
• Genres: Comedy, Drama, Medical
• Director: Shin Won-ho
• Main Cast: Jo Jung-suk, Yoo Yeon-seok, Jung Kyung-ho, Kim Dae-myung, Jeon Mi-do

Not a gentle love story of doctors, Doctor Stranger - The Mysterious Doctor is a fresh action-packed drama starring the handsome Lee Jong Suk. It's not a typical romance but a tangled and complicated love square. When he was young, Park Hoon (Lee Jong Suk) and his father were abducted by North Koreans.

In North Korea, Park Hoon was trained as a doctor by his father, who was originally a doctor himself. Park Hoon proved to be a prodigy in thoracic surgery. Later, he escapes to South Korea. Park Hoon works as a doctor at Myung Woo University Hospital, one of Korea's top hospitals, but he feels completely alienated. Here, he faces off against Han Jae Joon (played by Park Hae Jin), a handsome doctor who graduated from Harvard University.

And then the bitter battles, both in love and career, between the two doctors begin. To bring his love from North Korea to South Korea, Park Hoon does whatever it takes to earn money. The highest rating Doctor Stranger achieved was 15.6%.

Details:

• Duration: 20 episodes
• Genres: Drama, Medical, Romance
• Director: Jin Hyeok
• Main Cast: Lee Jong Suk, Park Hae Jin, Kang So Ra, Jin Se Yeon, Cheon Ho Jin, Jeon Kuk Hwan,...

The Ship of Healing is one of the most famous medical dramas in Korean cinema. Directed by Park Jae-bum and starring renowned actors like Ji-won Ha, Cha Hwa-yeon, and Jang Seo-won, the story revolves around the medical compassion of doctors on a medical ship journeying to remote islands where there are no hospitals to treat patients. Song Eun Jae (Ha Ji Won) is a surgeon who decides to board the ship to escape her current life and start anew. Meanwhile, Kwak Hyun (Kang Min Hyuk) is a warm-hearted internist who has the ability to understand others' emotions and soothe their hearts.

The drama also delves into the love story between surgeon Song Eun Jae (Ha Ji Won) and internist Kwak Hyun (Kang Min Hyuk). One with many emotional scars, the other with a warm heart, they find each other and use love to heal each other's emotional wounds.

Details:

• Duration: 40 episodes (35 minutes/episode)
• Genres: Medical, Romance, Drama
• Director: Park Jae-bum
• Main Cast: Ji-won Ha, Cha Hwa-yeon, Jang Seo-won

Doctor Behind Bars is produced by director Hwang In-Hyuk with the participation of renowned names such as Namgung Min, Kwon Na-Ra, Kim Byung-Chul,... Professional acting and captivating script, the performances of the cast are an important factor that made the film popular and well-received by audiences from the beginning.

The story revolves around Na Yi Je (Namgung Min), a skilled surgeon and a kind-hearted person. He gets involved in a medical accident that is not his fault, leading to him being fired from the hospital. Later, he becomes the director of a medical clinic in a prison. Here, Na Yi Je strives to continue his career of saving lives while also forming alliances to devise a perfect plan for revenge against his former director.

Details:

• Duration: 16 episodes (60 minutes/episode)
• Genres: Medical, Drama
• Director: Hwang In-Hyuk
• Main Cast: Namgung Min, Kwon Na-Ra, Kim Byung-Chul

Investigative Duo is a popular television drama produced in 2018 by director No Do-Cheol, starring renowned names like Jeong Jae-yeong, Jeong Yu-mi, Oh Man-seok. The series follows Baek Beom, a forensic doctor with 10 years of experience. Despite his difficult personality, he excels in his job. Baek Beom is not open to others. On the other hand, Eun Sol is a rookie prosecutor with a warm heart and a cheerful personality, coming from a wealthy family. The forensic doctor and the prosecutor work together to solve various cases.

Despite their contrasting personalities, they collaborate harmoniously and successfully solve many cases. Stay tuned to see if the warmth of the rookie prosecutor can soften the stern heart of the tough forensic doctor.

Details:

• Duration: 32 episodes (60 minutes/episode)
• Genres: Drama, Medical
• Director: No Do-Cheol
• Main Cast: Jeong Jae-yeong, Jeong Yu-mi, Oh Man-seok

Doctor John is one of the most compelling medical dramas in South Korean cinema in 2019, directed by Jo Soo-Won. The series stars top talents in the entertainment industry such as Ji Sung, Lee Se-young, Lee Kyu-hyung, and Hwang Hee, and is based on the novel 'On Hand of God' by Japanese author Yo Kusakabe.

The story revolves around the love story of the brilliant doctor Cha Yo Han, who unfortunately suffers from a condition of indifference, and the warm-hearted intern Kang Si Young. With gripping plot twists and highly professional medical scenes, the series keeps viewers on the edge of their seats. Tune in to see how Kang Si Young gradually melts the icy heart of Cha Yo Han.

Details:

• Duration: 16 episodes (60 minutes/episode)
• Genres: Drama, Medical
• Director: Jo Soo-Won
• Main Cast: Ji Sung, Lee Se-young, Jung Jae-Sung

Following the success of Descendants of the Sun, Love Story Doctors quickly garnered positive feedback from its initial episodes. The series revolves around a romantic doctor story portrayed by the duo Park Shin Hye and Kim Rae Won. In the series, Kim Rae Won plays Professor Ji Hong, the mentor of Hye Jung (Park Shin Hye). Over the years of high school, they harbored feelings for each other but never confessed. Fate leads them back to each other. The romantic and cool scenes, especially when the former mentor Ji Hong descends from a helicopter, boosted the drama's ratings and captivated viewers. Their clandestine romance in the hospital keeps viewers entertained and enthralled. Park Shin Hye's performance receives much acclaim, particularly her fiery fight scenes as the doctor Hye Jung, demonstrating how the 'screen queen' invested and dedicated herself to Doctors.

In the drama Love Story Doctors, during her school days, Yoo Hye Jung (Park Shin Hye) was a bully, stubborn, and quick-tempered. Having endured much trauma in her youth, Hye Jung closed her heart off to those around her as a form of self-protection. However, her mindset begins to change when she encounters her mentor, Hong Ji Hong (Kim Rae Won), also known as Park Solomon, who helps transform her from a troubled delinquent into a passionate doctor.

Details:

• Duration: 20 episodes (60 minutes/episode)
• Genres: Drama, Medical
• Director: Oh Choong-Hwan
• Main Cast: Kim Rae-Won, Park Shin Hye, Lee Sung-Kyung

The sensation of Descendants of the Sun might have been too hot, and there's hardly any audience who hasn't heard of the love story between soldier Yoo Shi Jin and doctor Kang Mo Yeon. The series crossed Korean borders to create an impact across Asian countries and the world. So, what made this series drive everyone crazy? Firstly, it's the setting and the uniformly beautiful cast, from main to supporting roles. The standout stars include Song Joong Ki, Song Hye Kyo, Kim Ji Won, and Jin Goo. Amidst the backdrop of a fiery war zone in the country of Uruk, the main couple can transport viewers to picturesque locations akin to paradise. The plot is also highly impressive and humane. The man carrying the mission of peace advocated by his lover, living for the tranquility of humanity. While the woman is gentle, readily participating in medical relief missions when tasked. And their love story unfolds gently yet touchingly.

Descendants of the Sun (2016) is a Korean drama interweaving drama and romance. It stirred up excitement from the very first episode. Across social media platforms, Asian viewers shared their anticipation for the next episode. Every plot twist was continuously discussed, exchanged, and shared. The series features poetic scenes, romantic dialogues, sweet kisses between the charming couple, and the benevolent smiles and gaze of the male lead... A work that combines all the elements to 'captivate the hearts of viewers,' as young audiences often say. But the series also has many elements to captivate millions, including politicians.

Details:

• Duration: 16 + 3 special episodes (69 minutes/episode)
• Genres: Romance, Action, Medical
• Directors: Lee Eung-bok, Baek Sang-hoon
• Main Cast: Song Joong-ki, Song Hye-kyo, Jin Goo, Kim Ji-won

Heart Surgeons revolves around the life of Park Tae Soo (Go Soo), a dedicated heart surgeon who is often looked down upon just because he graduated from a non-prestigious university. In an emergency situation, Park Tae Soo encounters Choi Seok Han (Uhm Ki Joon), a brilliant but unlucky surgical professor. This encounter helps Park Tae Soo secure a position at a major hospital in Seoul. However, just when he thinks his life is taking a brighter turn, Park Tae Soo continually faces troubles as he discovers the dark side of the medical field he pursues.

The dramatic situations in the series delve deep into depicting the conflicts in the minds of medical professionals. They struggle between professional ethics and personal interests, having to make difficult choices that affect human lives. In summary, Heart Surgeons is not just a medical drama but also delves deeply into the souls of those in the profession.

Details:

• Release Date: 27/9/2018
• Genres: Drama, Romance
• Duration: 32 episodes
• Currently airing on: VieON, FPT Play
  

Life is a medical-themed drama directed by Hong Jong-chan and Im Hyun-wook. With captivating content and the participation of famous names like Lee Dong-wook, Cho Seung-woo, Won Jin-ah, Yoo Jae-myung, the series quickly shook the small screen in South Korea in 2018.

The story revolves around power struggles in a hospital. Ye Jin Woo (Lee Dong Wook) is a doctor at the emergency medical center of Sangkook University Hospital. He has a warm heart and is very charming. Koo Seung Hyo (Cho Seung Woo) is the head of the General Surgery Department. Koo Seung Hyo has a cool head and is ambitious. It is because of his outstanding abilities that he has earned the love of many people, but also the envy of others. Let's see how he will face the obstacles ahead.

Details:

• Duration: 16 episodes
• Genres: Drama, Medical
• Directors: Hong Jong-chan, Im Hyun-wook
• Main Cast: Lee Dong-wook, Cho Seung-woo, Won Jin-ah, Yoo Jae-myung

Good Doctor follows the story of Park Shi Ohn, a young man diagnosed with savant syndrome and autism since childhood. Despite his developmental disabilities, Park Shi Ohn becomes a skilled pediatric surgeon.

Assisting him is the compassionate and strong-willed Dr. Cha Yoon Seo (Moon Chae Won). Initially skeptical of Park Shi Ohn, she later comes to understand him and wholeheartedly supports him despite societal prejudices.

Details:

• Release Date: 5/8/2013
• Genre: Romance
• Duration: 20 episodes
• Streaming Platform: VieON