Good Doctor (2013 South Korean TV Series)

Good Doctor is a South Korean medical drama series that aired on KBS2 from August 5 to October 8, 2013. The series follows the professional and personal challenges of Park Shi-On, a young man with savant syndrome and a developmental disability who aspires to become a pediatric surgeon.

Plot Overview

Park Shi-On (played by Joo Won) possesses the mental age of a 10-year-old but exhibits extraordinary medical knowledge and diagnostic abilities due to his savant syndrome. Despite his unique capabilities, his developmental disability leads to skepticism from his colleagues at Sungwon University Hospital. Throughout his residency, he faces intense scrutiny and must prove his competence to the hospital staff, particularly the lead pediatric surgeon, Kim Do-Han (Joo Sang-Wook), who initially doubts Shi-On's ability to handle the pressures of surgery.

Production

The drama was directed by Ki Min-Soo and Kim Jin-Woo, with a screenplay written by Park Jae-Bum. During its development, the series was originally titled Green Mes, with "mes" being a term derived from Dutch used in Korea and Japan to refer to a scalpel. The title was eventually changed to Good Doctor to ensure broader accessibility for the audience. The first script reading for the production took place on June 9, 2013, at the KBS Annex Building in Yeouido, Seoul.

Cast

The main cast includes:

• Joo Won as Park Shi-On
• Moon Chae-Won as Cha Yoon-Seo
• Joo Sang-Wook as Kim Do-Han
• Kim Min-Seo as Yoo Chae-Kyung

Legacy

The success of the 2013 series led to international adaptations, including a 2018 Japanese version produced by Fuji TV. Additionally, lead actor Joo Won contributed to the series' soundtrack by releasing the single "Love Medicine" on October 1, 2013.