The Korean medical drama Doctor X: Mafia in White
debuted at No. 1 on Netflix’s weekly non-English TV chart for the week ending October 11, 2026. Starring Kim Ji-won as a genius surgeon, the series premiered on SBS on October 9 and has already reached the top 10 in 36 countries.
Korean Series Captures Millions of Views on Netflix
The series, which is a Korean adaptation of the Japanese drama Doctor-X: Surgeon Michiko Daimon,
captured 4.6 million views during its first tracking week on Netflix, according to the streaming platform’s latest weekly non-English TV chart. In addition to the 4.6 million views, the production recorded 9.9 million viewing hours for the period between the 5th and the 11th of October.
“‘Doctor X’ Sweeps Domestic and International Success Metrics… No. 1 on Netflix + Highest Viewership Rating of 17.4%”SBS’s Doctor X: Mafia in White swept viewership ratings and global OTT rankings within just its first week of broadcast.Doctor X: Mafia in White is a medical… pic.twitter.com/GzprNfyYd1
Domestic performance in South Korea has been exceptionally strong. Following the first two episodes, the series achieved a nationwide average viewership rating of 14.9% among households, according to Nielsen Korea. The premiere episode alone garnered a nationwide average of 11.4%, with a metropolitan area rating of 11.2%. These figures have solidified the show’s position as a major success for the SBS network, outperforming the debut ratings of other 2026 dramas such as Agent Kim Reactivated,
which launched with 9.5%.
Kim Ji-Won Plays a Freelance Surgeon at Guseo University Hospital
Kim Ji-won, who saw breakout success in the 2024 drama Queen of Tears,
portrays Gye Su-jeong, a freelance surgeon recruited to fill staffing shortages at the massive Guseo University Hospital. Known as the crazy genius of the operating room,
the character is defined by her superior surgical abilities and her refusal to cater to the hospital’s internal power structures. Her character is frequently shown in conflict with the administration.
The narrative introduces Gye Su-jeong as a woman driven by a mysterious past, including a recurring dream where she holds a child’s hand while running into a burning building, promising to rescue her brother. Her arrival at the hospital is marked by immediate tension; in the first episode, she is forced to intervene when the director faints during an operation, successfully saving both the director and the patient on the table. She continues to challenge the status quo by objecting to treatment plans for VIP patients and often advocates for procedures that conflict with the established interests of the hospital’s hierarchy.
Medical Noir Themes and Narrative Style
Written by Pyun Sung Geun and directed by Lee Jung Rim, the show is categorized as a cathartic medical noir.
It serves as the latest entry in SBS’s lineup of cathartic dramas, following in the footsteps of popular series like Taxi Driver
and The Fiery Priest.
Director Lee Jung Rim has stated that the production team aimed to maintain the energy of the original Japanese source material while reinterpreting it to ensure emotional resonance with Korean audiences. The drama depicts a struggle against the white mafia,
a cartel of corrupt doctors who prioritize financial gain and reputation over patient welfare.
{NEWS} “Kim Ji Won becomes a contender for the Best Actress Grand Prize with just two episodes of ‘Doctor X’ aired… No. 1 in both ratings and buzz.”‘Doctor X: Mafia in White’ kicked off a remarkable run of success from its very first week, sweeping ratings, buzz rankings, and… pic.twitter.com/zGZWQvc6Qy
The series is set for a 12-episode run, with new installments airing every Friday and Saturday at 9:50 PM KST. Beyond the immediate medical conflicts, the show has introduced long-term mysteries, such as an article discovered by other doctors regarding a patient who died two months after an operation performed by an anonymous surgeon using the alias Doctor X.
Concurrent Netflix Performance
The Netflix non-English TV chart for the week ending October 11 also featured another Korean production, Charge Me Up,
which ranked third with 3 million views and 32 million viewing minutes. Starring Kim Young-kwang and Chae Soo-bin, the romantic comedy follows a corporate heir with a failing artificial heart and a writer who has the power to electrically charge him. While Doctor X
reached the top 10 in 36 countries, Charge Me Up
achieved a wider international reach, entering the top 10 in 44 countries during its first week of release.
