5 must-watch medical K-dramas like Hospital Playlist

American medical series have been popular for several years now. TV shows like Dr. House and Grey’s Anatomy have opened doors to a plethora of medical dramas in South Korea as well.

Hospital Playlist is a medical K-drama that became one of the most acclaimed shows of 2020, both locally and internationally. Proof of this was the audience ratings on tvN and Netflix, as well as the multiple recognitions it obtained, including the best series award at the Brand of the Year Awards 2020.

As fans await the second season of Hospital Playlist, here's a compilation of five must-watch medical K-dramas.

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1. Doctors (2016)

A rebellious young high school student, abandoned by her parents, lives with her grandmother. Her troublesome personality changes when she meets Ji Hong, a doctor who teaches at her school. He tries to correct the girl's attitude while he teaches her about his profession.

However, both get expelled from school for a scandal, without knowing that years later, they would meet again as colleagues.

Starring in this drama is Park Shin Hye, an actress who has become famous for dramas like "You're Beautiful" and movies such as "#Alive." Her co-actor in Doctors is Kim Rae Won, who also worked on projects like "What Star Did You Come From."

Yoon Kyun Sang, an actor from the drama “Pinocchio,” as well as Lee Sung Kyung, an actress who stars in the popular Korean series “Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok Joo,” also have a constant appearance.

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2. Good Doctor (2013)

Shi Ohn is a young doctor who, despite having autism and a childish mentality, has an intelligence superior to anyone in his condition. His peculiar behavior and perspective on medicine lead him to conflict as he carries out his duties. He also meets some colleagues who help him adjust to this lifestyle.

With stars like Joo Won, an actor known from “My Sassy Girl,” and Moon Chae Won, an actress who starred in “Innocent man,” Good Doctor has gained a lot of popularity. There is even an American series by the same name based on this show.

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3. Doctor Stranger (2014)

Lee Jong Suk and Jin Se Yun are the main characters in Doctor Stranger.

A doctor is sent to North Korea, and he must take his young son, Park Hoon, with him. Although the deal is that after fulfilling his mission, both of them would be brought back to South Korea, they are held in the neighboring country indefinitely.

Park Hoon becomes an excellent doctor despite learning his craft with minimal resources, and more importantly, limited medical equipment. He also falls deeply in love with Jae Hee, with whom he shares a profession.

They both decide to escape to the south, but Jae Hee jumps off a bridge to save her lover. Park Hoon lives without a purpose until he meets a person identical to Jae Hee, who motivates him to secure work a highly recognized hospital in the country.

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4. Emergency Couple (2014)

Oh, Chang Min, played by Choi Jin Hyuk, and Oh Jin Hee, played by Son Ji Hyo, decide to marry early, even though their families disagree. He is a medical student, while she specializes in dietetics.

Six years after their divorce, the duo meet again in a hospital, where they are both fellow interns in the emergency room. Seeing and working with each other every day rekindles their love for one another. Before they can be together though, there are multiple hurdles that need crossing.

Emergency Couple is a well-executed drama where the main characters maintain good chemistry.

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5. Life (2018)

One of the most popular Korean drama actors in the acting industry is Lee Dong Wook, who has participated in more than 30 series and plays the main character in Life.

Alongside Cho Seung Woo, Won Jin Ah, and Chun Ho Jin, Dong Wook plays Ye Jin Woo, a doctor at the Sangkook University Hospital emergency medical center. He has a warm heart and a charismatic persona.

He admires the hospital director, Lee Bo Hoon, but his brother, Ye Sun-Woo, tells him that his boss had transferred money received from a government subsidy into his bank account. That night, the hospital director dies after falling from the roof of an apartment building, which coincidentally, is where deputy director Kim Tae Sang lives.

His death is declared an accident caused by a heart attack. Still, Jin Woo believed otherwise. Goo Seung Hyo begins working as the president of Sangkook University Hospital and experiences the dark side of running such a massive establishment, including covering patient deaths.