'Doctor X' Faces Petition to Halt Broadcast Over May 18 Gwangju Democratization Movement Episode; Ratings Hit Record 21.2%

〈Doctor X〉 has sparked debate among viewers with a recent episode depicting the Gwangju Democratization Movement.

The medical drama 〈Doctor X: The Era of the White Mafia〉 (hereafter 〈Doctor X〉) is based on a Japanese drama and follows the exploits of genius surgeon Gye Su-jeong (Kim Ji-won). The series, which began airing on October 9, told the story in Episodes 5 and 6 of patient Oh Sang-beom (Ha Seong-gwang), who had lived with a bullet fragment lodged in his head.

The episodes depicted Oh Sang-beom as having been struck in the head by a bullet fragment fired by martial law troops when he went to the site of the 1980 Gwangju Democratization Movement to rescue his older brother. The patient’s symptoms were cited as evidence that civilians had been shot in Gwangju, and the drama wove in other elements of the 1980 movement, including the appearance of a character named Ji Du-seok, who directed the operation at the time. It also drew criticism for directly bringing up conspiracy theories about the Gwangju Democratization Movement through characters’ dialogue. After the episode aired, some viewers reacted strongly, including by posting a petition to halt the show’s broadcast on the National Assembly’s e-Petitions website. The petitioner explained the goal of the petition, writing, “I know well that May 18 is a painful part of our history, and I have no intention of denying it,” and “It is hard to understand why May 18, which remains politically contentious in some details, was brought into the drama out of the blue.”

Meanwhile, the 〈Doctor X〉 production team has not issued an official statement about the petition or controversy. With this broadcast, 〈Doctor X〉 set a new personal ratings record, reaching a peak of 21.2%, according to Nielsen Korea. 〈Doctor X〉 airs Fridays and Saturdays at 9:50 p.m.