Netflix has officially confirmed the production of its new original series First Doctor, a medical drama depicting the fierce lives and warm solidarity of pediatric surgeons, and has unveiled its star-studded lead casting lineup.

The Netflix series First Doctor is a medical drama set in a hospital's pediatric surgery department on the brink of closure. It tells the breathless story of medical professionals on the front lines of life, facing the world's most delicate young lives, alongside doctor Heo Ji-wan (played by Jung Ryeo-won), who finds herself pushed to the edge overnight.

The upcoming series is already generating buzz as actress Jung Ryeo-won, known for her broad acting spectrum in roles ranging from prosecutors and lawyers to instructors, transforms into a doctor. Jung Ryeo-won plays Heo Ji-wan, a pediatric surgery professor who possesses outstanding skills and a strong sense of duty, but is notorious as the hospital's "troublemaker" due to her direct and outspoken personality. After an unexpected accident forces her to return to Yeonhwa-dae Hospital against her will, the series will sincerely depict her struggles to protect the endangered pediatric surgery department and the future of the children.

Rising star Ha Yoon-kyung has been cast as the resident who will stand in tense opposition to Heo Ji-wan. Ha Yoon-kyung plays Ki Eun-gyeol, a bold and spirited third-year resident at Yeonhwa-dae Hospital. With her sharp intellect and quick hands, Eun-gyeol caught the eye of the chief of surgery early on. She will clash with the newly appointed professor Heo Ji-wan at every turn, creating a subtle tension and a unique mentor-disciple chemistry.

In addition, a lineup of trusted veteran actors joins the cast to elevate the show's quality. Actor Baek Hyun-jin will play Son Sang-baek, the chief of surgery at Yeonhwa-dae Hospital, bringing his signature realistic and lifelike acting to the role. Meanwhile, veteran actor Kim Jong-soo will portray the hospital's deputy director, Lee Chang-gon, anchoring the show's tension with his heavy charisma.

Actor Kim Mu-yeol, who recently garnered global popularity through the Netflix series Teach You a Lesson, will inject energy into the drama as Bae Su-wol, an anesthesiology and pain medicine professor. Su-wol is a friendly and easygoing doctor who has shared a long-standing bond with the protagonist, Heo Ji-wan, as a reliable colleague. Notably, this project marks Kim Mu-yeol's third collaboration with director Hong Jong-chan, raising high expectations for their exceptional synergy.

First Doctor reunites director Hong Jong-chan and writer Kim Min-seok, who previously received critical acclaim for the Netflix series Juvenile Justice, this time setting their stage in a pediatric surgery department. The delicate directing of Hong Jong-chan—who has deeply explored human emotions in dramas like Dear My Friends and Netflix's Mr. Plankton—will merge with the sharp yet warm writing of Kim Min-seok, who won the Best Screenplay (TV) award at the Baeksang Arts Awards for Juvenile Justice. Together, they are expected to deliver a deeply resonant story about the people fighting to save a pediatric surgery department on the brink of collapse.

[Photo= Netflix]

(SBS Entertainment News | Kang Sun-ae)