New K-drama Doctor X: Mafia In White tops Netflix's global chart

The new medical drama stars South Korean actress Kim Ji-won and is being streamed on Netflix.

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The new K-drama series, Doctor X: Mafia In White, has topped Netflix's global top 10 non-English shows chart for the period of Oct 5 to 11. The medical drama, a remake of the popular Japanese franchise, stars Queen Of Tears actress Kim Ji-won as Gye Su-jeong, a genius surgeon who also battles corruption in her hospital.

Doctor X: Mafia In White premiered on Oct 9 and has since emerged as a hit, with its debut episode recording an average nationwide viewership rating of 11.4 per cent in South Korea – the highest for a miniseries premiere in 2026.

The show also stars Parasite actress Lee Jung-eun and actor Kim Woo-seok.

Amidst its success, the show has also attracted some criticism regarding the medical accuracy of the procedures shown in the drama, as well as its portrayal of doctors as unethical.

On Thursday (Oct 15), The Chosun Daily reported that a netizen identifying himself as an orthopaedic surgeon had requested a broadcast review of the show by South Korea's Korea Media and Communications Standards Commission, arguing that the drama could give audiences a distorted impression of medical practice.

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