[Photo] OSEN DB.
Actor Kim Woo-seok is breathing vibrant energy into the small screen as a lovely rookie intern doctor equipped with irresistible charm and firm convictions.
Kim Woo-seok is starring as Park Tae-kyung, a rookie intern at Guseo University Hospital, in the SBS Friday-Saturday drama ‘Doctor X: The Age of the White Mafia’ (hereafter ‘Doctor X’). Despite this being his first medical genre challenge, he naturally melted into the drama by balancing the character’s inherent freshness with a true sense of duty as a doctor. He immediately engraved his strong presence from the beginning, showing a serious side in front of patients and a bright, honest demeanor in front of his respected senior.
Park Tae-kyung’s charm shines even brighter through his unadorned attitude toward Gye Soo-jung (played by Kim Ji-won). Impressed by Gye Soo-jung’s exceptional skills after accidentally witnessing them, he continued to show unwavering admiration and trust even after meeting her again at the hospital. His pure personality was clearly reflected as he followed and believed in Gye Soo-jung, holding onto his own judgment despite negative surrounding gazes. His honesty in not hiding his feelings toward the other person, combined with active reactions, completed his uniquely friendly and lovely charm.
The solid convictions hidden beneath his bright appearance also drew attention. When an emergency situation arose during surgery, Park Tae-kyung did his best to protect the patient and lent his strength. Although he is still an inexperienced rookie intern, he clearly showed his determination that a patient’s safety can never be compromised. Kim Woo-seok delicately portrayed upright judgment, burning passion, and a serious attitude when facing situations, adding depth to the character of Park Tae-kyung.
Kim Woo-seok’s detailed character interpretation stood out even in everyday scenes. When handing a gown with a name tag attached to Gye Soo-jung, he simply and warmly contained his favorable feelings toward her, while in urgent situations where a patient’s safety was at stake, he raised the drama’s tension with a serious expression and resolute attitude. By pouring the character’s sincerity into small actions and expressions, he naturally coordinated the shifting emotional textures of each scene. Thanks to this, Park Tae-kyung’s purity extends beyond simple freshness into the charm of a character equipped with a sense of responsibility and conviction.
His delightful senior-junior chemistry with Kim Ji-won is also a must-mention. Actively reacting by Gye Soo-jung’s side and listening closely to her every word, Park Tae-kyung simultaneously displays the appearance of a dependable junior and undeniable cuteness, bringing laughter to viewers. Kim Woo-seok brought life to their relationship by keeping their witty banter alive through natural reactions exchanged with his counterpart actor. His anti-war charm—acting as a responsible doctor in front of patients and an affectionate, adorable junior in front of seniors—raises favorability toward the character.
Buoyed by these performances, Kim Woo-seok is demonstrating his presence by recording high topicality from the very beginning of the work. He claimed the No. 1 spot in the drama search issue keyword ranking for the second week of October, proving viewers’ high level of interest. The drama itself has also maintained its popularity, launching with a national viewership rating of 11.4% based on Nielsen Korea and rising to 14.9% by its second episode.
Global achievements are drawing attention as well. According to Tudum, the official Netflix viewing time statistics site, ‘Doctor X’ ranked No. 1 in the global TOP 10 non-English TV shows category for the weekly rankings from October 5 to 11. Following domestic viewership ratings and search interest, the drama has also achieved success in global viewing rankings, raising expectations for both the drama’s popularity and Kim Woo-seok’s active role in bringing vitality to the story.
Having showcased distinct characters across various works, Kim Woo-seok has successfully broadened his acting spectrum by taking on the medical genre through ‘Doctor X’. Persuasively portraying the character’s lovely charm and unwavering convictions to capture viewers’ hearts, anticipation is growing over how he will portray Park Tae-kyung’s future growth process.
