[TF Focus] Kim Ji-won, the 'Life Character Creator,' Embarks on a New Challenge with 'Doctor X'

Genius surgeon Gye Su-jeong... A medical dark hero is bornBroadcast every Friday and Saturday at 9:50 PMActress Kim Ji-won challenges a new "life character" in SBS's new Friday-Saturday drama 'Doctor X: Age of the White Mafia'. /THE FACT DB[THE FACT|Reporter Choi Soo-bin] Actress Kim Ji-won, who creates "masterpieces" whenever she takes on a role, is now donning the costume of a medical dark hero. Having established herself as a "trustworthy actress" by completing characters with her unique color in every project, she is revealing a side of herself that has never been seen before. Attention is focused on whether she will create another "life character" with 'Doctor X'.Kim Ji-won meets viewers with SBS's new Friday-Saturday drama 'Doctor X: Age of the White Mafia' (written by Pyeon Seong-geun, directed by Lee Jung-rim, hereinafter referred to as 'Doctor X'), which airs its first episode today (9th). The drama is a "cider" medical noir that depicts the exploits of 'Doctor X' Gye Su-jeong (played by Kim Ji-won), who shatters immense absurdity with her genius surgical skills, knowing no failure or compromise. It is based on the Japanese drama 'Doctor X' series.Gye Su-jeong, played by Kim Ji-won, is a surgeon dispatched from a doctor staffing agency to fill the vacancy in the surgery department at Guseo University Hospital. She is a character obsessed only with surgery, and in the corrupt Guseo University Hospital, she plans to carve out the corrupt medical power with her overwhelming skills and shake up the power structure within the hospital.Given that Kim Ji-won has shown new faces in every project, viewers are eagerly anticipating what charms she will display this time, dressed as a medical dark hero. Debuting in 2010 with the CF 'Lollipop', she has consistently renewed her "life characters" by digesting diverse characters, from military doctors to ordinary youths and third-generation chaebols, in her own unique style.Notably, in KBS2's 'Descendants of the Sun', she played Lieutenant Yoon Myung-ju, a military surgeon, and imprinted her presence on the public. While completing the charismatic image of a soldier with her disciplined speech and posture befitting the only daughter of the Special Warfare Commander, she was also loved for delicately portraying her affectionate feelings for Seo Dae-young (played by Jin Goo).Kim Ji-won will passionately portray the genius surgeon Gye Su-jeong in 'Doctor X'. /SBSSubsequently, in KBS2's 'Fight for My Way', she showed another face as Choi Ae-ra, who dreams of becoming an announcer. She breathed life into the character with her unreserved honesty and charming appeal, and drew empathy by realistically portraying the struggles of youth between dreams and reality.Afterward, Kim Ji-won made a special appearance in tvN's 'Mr. Sunshine', leaving a strong impression despite her short screen time, and in tvN's 'Arthdal Chronicles', she played Tanya and led the drama with a completely different atmosphere from her previous roles. Even with different genres and character personalities, she expanded her acting spectrum by imbuing them with her unique color.In addition, KakaoTV's 'Lovestruck in the City' and JTBC's 'My Liberation Notes' are still being talked about as viewers' "life dramas" even after their broadcast. In 'Lovestruck in the City', she meticulously depicted the changes within a single character, from the past Lee Eun-oh to the free-spirited Yoon Sun-ah, and the present Lee Eun-oh finding herself again. In 'My Liberation Notes', she played Yeom Mi-jeong and received critical acclaim for expressing the character's loneliness and emptiness solely through subtle facial expressions and a calm voice.And through tvN's 'Queen of Tears', she once again renewed her "life character". Kim Ji-won played Hong Hae-in, the managing director of Queen's Group and president of Queen's Department Store, portraying a wide range of emotions from cold charisma to her vulnerability in love. She captured the fluttering and affectionate feelings for her husband Baek Hyun-woo (played by Kim Soo-hyun), as well as the fear of death and complex emotions towards her family, in her eyes and expressions. Furthermore, her precise diction and stable vocalization added to the character's charm.The passionate response also translated into ratings. The final episode of 'Queen of Tears' recorded a viewership rating of 24.9% (Nielsen Korea, nationwide paid households), setting a new record for the highest-rated drama in tvN history. Kim Ji-won also left Hong Hae-in as another representative character, enjoying syndrome-level popularity.'Doctor X', where Kim Ji-won will be active, will meet viewers every Friday and Saturday at 9:50 PM. /SBSThe work Kim Ji-won chose for her return to the small screen after about two years is 'Doctor X'. While she has shown her strengths in delicate emotional acting in romance and human dramas, she will now transform into Gye Su-jeong, a genius surgeon with unhesitating action.The previously released teasers also showed a different Kim Ji-won from her previous works. Gye Su-jeong acts in her own way, disregarding the opposition of surrounding doctors and the hospital hierarchy. While calmly eating ramen, she instantly commands the atmosphere upon entering the operating room and directs the surgery. As she says, "As long as I'm alive, I will save them," she shows no hesitation when it comes to saving patients.Kim Ji-won has put in a lot of effort to complete the character of a genius doctor with such outstanding skills. She stated, "I learned the surgical techniques needed for the surgery scenes from consulting doctors and spent time thoroughly familiarizing myself with them."Director Lee Jung-rim also expressed confidence, saying, "Kim Ji-won convincingly moved between the overwhelming presence in the operating room and the quirky, human side outside the operating room, which are the great contrasts of Gye Su-jeong." He added, "It was hard to imagine Gye Su-jeong without Kim Ji-won. The doctors who consulted on the surgery scenes even applauded."From Yoon Myung-ju to Choi Ae-ra, Yeom Mi-jeong, and Hong Hae-in, Kim Ji-won has erased the images of her previous roles and made new characters her own with every project she takes on. In the process, she has left not only her own "life characters" but also "life dramas" that viewers revisit for a long time.Now, Kim Ji-won has donned the new costume of a medical dark hero. Expectations are high for 'Doctor X' and what Kim Ji-won will show, whether she can once again renew her "life character."'Doctor X' will be broadcast every Friday and Saturday at 9:50 PM.subin7134@tf.co.kr[Entertainment Department | ssent@tf.co.kr]