Netflix Confirms 'First Doctor,' Pediatric Surgery Drama From 'Juvenile Justice' Team

Netflix said June 23 that it had confirmed production of its new original series 〈First Doctor〉 and unveiled the cast.

〈First Doctor〉 is a medical drama set in a pediatric surgery department threatened with closure. It follows Heo Ji-wan (Jung Ryeo-won) and her colleagues as they struggle on the front lines of life in a pediatric surgery unit facing possible abolition; Heo is driven to the edge. Director Hong Jong-chan and writer Kim Min-seok, who previously teamed up on the Netflix series 〈Juvenile Justice〉, are reuniting for the project. Hong has recently shown a grounded directorial style across genres in works including 〈Teach You a Lesson〉 and 〈Mr. Plankton〉.

Jung Ryeo-won will play Heo Ji-wan, a pediatric surgery professor who suddenly finds herself under intense pressure. She is widely respected for her skill and strong sense of mission, but her blunt manner has earned her a reputation as a troublemaker at the hospital. After an unexpected accident forces her back to Yeonhwa University Hospital, she fights to protect the pediatric surgery department and the futures of her young patients.

Ha Yoon-kyung will portray Gi Eun-gyeol, a bold, high-energy third-year resident at Yeonhwa University Hospital. Though she appears rebellious, she is sharp and quick with her hands in the operating room, which caught the eye of the chief of surgery. Her frequent clashes with Heo Ji-wan add tension to the story.

The supporting cast rounds out the hospital ensemble. Baek Hyun-jin will play Son Sang-baek, the chief of surgery at Yeonhwa University Hospital, and Kim Jong-soo will play Deputy Director Lee Chang-gon, both of whom become entangled with Heo Ji-wan as they help drive the story forward. Kim Mu-yeol will appear as Bae Su-wol, an affable and easygoing professor of anesthesiology and pain medicine. Bae is introduced as a long-time colleague of Heo Ji-wan, and this marks Kim Mu-yeol's third collaboration with director Hong Jong-chan.

〈First Doctor〉 will be released on Netflix and will depict the grueling daily lives of a pediatric surgery team and the bonds that hold them together.