Dr. Romantic

Romantic (Korean: 낭만닥터 김사부) is a South Korean television series starring Han Suk-kyu in the title role, alongside Yoo Yeon-seok, Seo Hyun-jin in the first season, Ahn Hyo-seop, Lee Sung-kyung and Kim Joo-hun in the second and third season. The first season aired on SBS TV from November 7, 2016, to January 16, 2017, every Monday and Tuesday at 22:00 (KST) for 20 episodes. The second season aired on SBS TV from January 6 to February 25, 2020, every Monday and Tuesday at 21:40 (KST) time slot for 16 episodes. The third season aired on SBS TV from April 28 to June 17, 2023, every Friday and Saturday at 22:00 (KST) time slot for 16 episodes. It is also available for streaming on Viu for the first and second seasons and Disney+ for the third season in selected regions.

Dr. Romantic
Promotional poster for season three
Also known as	Romantic Doctor Teacher Kim
Hangul	낭만닥터 김사부
Hanja	浪漫닥터 金師父
Literal meaning	Romantic Doctor, Teacher Kim
Revised Romanization	Nangmandakteo gimsabu
McCune–Reischauer	Nangmandakt'ŏ kimsabu
Genre	Romance Medical Melodrama
Written by	Kang Eun-kyung (season 1–3) Lim Hye-min (season 3)
Directed by	Yoo In-shik (season 1–3) Park Soo-jin (season 1) Lee Gil-bok (season 2) Kang Bo-seung (season 3)
Starring	Han Suk-kyu Yoo Yeon-seok Seo Hyun-jin Ahn Hyo-seop Lee Sung-kyung Kim Joo-hun
Music by	Jeon Chang-yeop
Country of origin	South Korea
Original language	Korean
No. of seasons	3
No. of episodes	52 + 2 special
Production
Executive producers	Han Jung-hwan (season 1) Sung Hye-Jin (season 2) Park Young-soo (season 3)
Producers	Park Hyun-ji (season 1) Ahn Jae-hyun (season 2) Shin Sang-yoon (season 2)
Cinematography	Lee Gil-bok Song Yo-hoon
Editors	Jo In-hyung Lim Ho-cheol
Running time	60 minutes (season 1) 63–90 minutes (season 2) 70 minutes (season 3)
Production companies	Samhwa Networks Studio S (season 3)
Budget	₩6.783 billion (S1) ₩13.28 billion (S2) ₩28.8 billion (S3)
Original release
Network	SBS TV
Release	November 7, 2016 (2016-11-07) – June 17, 2023 (2023-06-17)

The first season received positive reception, recording over 20% in ratings. In addition, it also received positive reviews for its plot and Han Suk-kyu's performance.

Season 1

A story about Boo Yong-joo (Han Suk-kyu), a triple-board certified surgeon, who was once at the top of his field and used to work at Seoul's top medical center, Geosan University Hospital. After a traumatic incident, he disappears and changes his name to Kim Sa-bu. He begins working at a small hospital named Doldam, located in Gangwon Province. He guides Kang Dong-joo (Yoo Yeon-seok) and Yoon Seo-jeong (Seo Hyun-jin) to become great doctors by teaching them to fight against power and money for the sake of patients.

Season 2

Three years following the events of the first season, Kim Sa-bu visits Geosan University Hospital to recruit a general surgeon. He finds Seo Woo-jin (Ahn Hyo-seop), a doctor with a troubled past who is ostracized by his fellow doctors and offers him the job. In the meantime, Cha Eun-jae (Lee Sung-kyung) is suspended after making another mistake in the operation room and has no other choice but to follow the two doctors to Doldam Hospital. A doctor named Park Min-gook (Kim Joo-hun) saw this but was traumatized after seeing Kim Sa-bu again. They both got into a bus accident and saw Sa-bu risking his life helping an injured lady. He became the new chairman of Doldam only for him to be betrayed by his own team from Geosan. So, he ended up supporting Doldam and thus stayed there permanently.

Season 3

Three years following the events of the second season, the Doldam Hospital Regional Trauma Center which was Kim Sa-bu's long-held dream will be opened. With the opening of the Regional Trauma Center, the scale of incidents and accidents that Doldam Hospital has to deal with also increased. The events will also feature Kang Dong-joo (Yoo Yeon-seok) temporary return, as well as the rivalry between Kim Sa-bu and Dr Cha Jin-nam, who happens to be Cha Eun-jae's estranged father.

Character appearances

Main

• Han Suk-kyu as Kim Sa-bu (Teacher Kim) / Boo Yong-joo

His real name is Boo Yong-joo, but he uses the name Kim Sa-bu. He is the only surgeon in South Korea who achieved triple-board certification in general surgery, cardiac surgery and neurosurgery. After the death of his protege at Geosan University Hospital, he isolates himself and decides never to retake any protege. He later moved to Doldam Hospital to become the Chief Surgeon there. In season two, Doldam Hospital is in need of a general surgeon, he visits Geosan University Hospital in Seoul to recruit one and quickly became interested in Seo Woo-jin and Cha Eun-jae. After learning about their skills and struggles with other doctors, he decides to recruit them. He strives hard to make the Doldam Hospital a centre for trauma patients, which he considers "a collective dream of Doldam Staff", where treatment is given to patients in dire need regardless of their class, nationality and status.

• Yoo Yeon-seok as Kang Dong-joo
  • Yoon Chan-young as young Kang Dong-joo

A GS (General Surgery) specialist. Intelligent and armed with excellent skills, his desire to succeed is driven due to an incident that happened to him in his childhood in which his father died at the hands of neglectful doctors. He later went on to become a skilled surgeon but his opportunities were held back due to his poor family background and lack of contacts. He gets transferred to Doldam Hospital after a failed surgery on a VIP, which later proved to be an opportunity for him to exhibit his skills.

• Seo Hyun-jin as Yoon Seo-jung
  • Shin Yi-joon as young Yoon Seo-jung

Initially, she wants to become a doctor due to her strong desire to be recognized and appreciated by President Do who is more like a father figure to her and took up her responsibility as her guardian. When Kang Dong Joo admits his feelings to her, she gets momentarily swayed and remembers his confession continuously during a car drive with her fiancé which leads to a car accident in which she survives and her fiancé dies she feels guilty and furthermore disappears from Geosan University Hospital. Yoon Seo-Jung is injured while trekking; she is rescued and treated by Kim Sa-bu whom she treats and respects as her teacher and mentor. Although she is saved and recovers, she suffers from PTSD due to the past accident and stays in Doldam Hospital for good. But then later on she decides to continue being a doctor at Doldam Hospital. Originally ER certified, she later strives hard to get certified in CS too after once observing Teacher Kim operating on a patient and from then dreams of a single opportunity to enter his OR and assist him, which she considers a very rare opportunity for a doctor.

• Ahn Hyo-seop as Seo Woo-jin

A second-year GS fellow. He's a victim of "Familial Suicide" and the only survivor. He desires to live a decent life and thus goes on to become a doctor but is continuously tormented by his colleagues and seniors due to him being labeled as a whistleblower after testifying against his senior and later gets suspended because of rumors about his part-time jobs he does to pay off his private loan he took to get into medical school. In need of a GS, Kim Sa-bu offers him the position of residency at Doldam Hospital but in reality, it was Seo Woo-Jin's professor and Teacher Kim's senior who informs Kim Sa-bu about Seo Woo Jin's exemplary skills as a surgeon but his lack of opportunities. Initially because of the dire need for money, he accepts Teacher Kim's job offer but in the long run and his constant association with Kim Sa-bu, he realizes his worth as a doctor and the profession and starts admiring Teacher Kim who is the only one who was considerate to him when the whole world stood against him. He has been in love with Eun-jae since medical school but has kept it a secret.

• Lee Sung-kyung as Cha Eun-jae

A second-year CS fellow. She was a top student at medical school, often in competition with Woo-jin with whom she had a complicated relationship. Due to her anxiety issues, she is unable to perform surgeries without vomiting or taking pills that induce sleep. When every doctor refuses to train her, Kim Sa-bu takes it upon himself to guide her, unknown to her. She is thus transferred to work for Doldam Hospital where she's headed to become an excellent surgeon by Teacher Kim by overcoming her anxiety issues before she is called back to the main hospital by her professor. By then she realizes her love for Woo-Jin and decides to stay back in Doldam Hospital for good.

• Kim Joo-hun as Park Min-gook

A professor of general surgery who later on became the new director of Doldam Hospital. He once escaped from a bus that was under accident in which Teacher Kim was also traveling and risked his life to save an unconscious person. He somehow starts feeling insecure and doubts Teacher Kim's principles and intentions and challenges him in every aspect after Teacher Kim corrects him during live surgery in the main hospital performed by himself while Teacher Kim never doubts his ability or integrity as a doctor. He became the new chairman of Doldam only for him to be betrayed by his own team from Geosan. He later realizes and overcomes his insecurities and thus supports Teacher Kim in achieving his dream by the end of Season 2.

Supporting

People of Doldam Hospital

• Kim Hong-pa as Yeo Woon-young

An internal medicine specialist and director of Doldam Hospital. A proud doctor who lost his motivation after the death of his wife. In Season 2, he was dismissed by Do Yoon-wan as the director of Doldam Hospital.

• Jin Kyung as Oh Myung-sim

Head nurse. A woman with strong will, who is able to stand up to Kim Sa-bu. She seems strict, but has a warm heart and cares about her patients.

• Im Won-hee as Jang Gi-tae

Manager of Doldam Hospital. He is known to be an opportunist and always want the best for the hospital, trying to find ways to promote it in any way he can.

• Byun Woo-min as Nam Do-il

A freelance anesthesiologist. He usually runs a restaurant, but due to his average cooking skills, his only customers are usually Doldam doctors.

• Kim Min-jae as Park Eun-tak

A nurse, now nurse practitioner at Doldam Hospital. He harbors a crush on Yoon Ah-reum. He first met Teacher Kim after being admitted as a patient. It was a life-changing encounter as he then decided to go to nursing school and eventually started working at Doldam Hospital himself.

• Seo Eun-soo as Woo Yeon-hwa

A staff member who likes Dong-joo. Later, she comes back as a doctor at Doldam Hospital.

• Lee Gyu-ho as Mr. Gu

An orderly who also serves as guard when there are agitated patients or people at the hospital.

• Shin Dong-wook as Bae Moon-jeong "Dr. Bones"

An orthopedic surgery specialist. He was Woo-jin's and Eun-jae's senior at medical school and started working at Doldam Hospital a month prior to his juniors' arrival.

• So Joo-yeon as Yoon Ah-reum

A fourth-year emergency medicine resident. She has a bright personality and applied to Doldam Hospital after seeing Teacher Kim help patients in the emergency room of Geosan University Hospital.

• Yoon Na-moo as Jeong In-soo

An emergency medicine specialist. He is the only doctor who stayed at Doldam among the few who were forced to leave Geosan University Hospital for the branch, back in 2016.

• Jung Ji-ahn as Uhm Hyun-jung

An emergency room nurse.

• Yoon Bo-ra as Joo Young-mi

An emergency room nurse. She recently started working at Doldam Hospital.

• Kim Yong-jin as Chief Lee

Chief of Administration at Doldam Hospital.

• Lee Shin-young as Jang Dong-hwa

The youngest doctor in Doldam Hospital, which characterizes the MZ generation seeking an independent lifestyle while studying for their third year as a GS. Later on, it was revealed that he's the younger brother of Jang Hyun-joo, Kim Sa-bu's late medical student patient who was the first person to refer him as Teacher Kim back in the days.

• Lee Hong-nae as Lee Sun-woong

A first-year thoracic surgery fellow who has full of spirit and passion, in which he is a former military doctor.

• Lee Geung-young as Cha Jin-man

A thoracic surgery specialist. He was a former rival of Kim Sa-bu and Eun-jae's father.

People of Geosan University Hospital

• Yang Se-jong as Do In-bum

Yoon-wan's son. He went to the same college and was in the same class as Dong-joo. He wants to be acknowledged by his father and feels inferior to Dong-joo who has excellent skills without a good background. He also harbors a crush on Seo-jung. In the end, he supports Doldam until his successful return back. At the start of season 2, it was revealed that he successfully returned to Geosan University Hospital. However, in the 14th episode, he revisited Doldam to investigate a "death in the table" case. Afterward, he was about to leave when Woo-jin convince him to stay and gives him tips and advice. He, therefore, accepts the request and does daily routines and an operation. It is unknown whether he will return in the 3rd season.

• Choi Jin-ho as Do Yoon-wan

Director of Geosan University Hospital. In Season 2, he became the Chairman of Geosan University Foundation following the death of Shin Myung-ho. Though he is not outstanding as a doctor, his political skills are recognized and he intends to use them to shape Doldam Hospital the way he envisions it.

• Jang Hyuk-jin as Song Hyun-cheol

Chief of Surgery at Geosan University Hospital. He is from a poor family and has a strong desire for success.

• Joo Hyun as Chairman Shin

Owner of Jungsun Casino and the hidden Chairman of Geosan Foundation.

Park Min-gook's staff

• Go Sang-ho as Yang Ho-joon

A third-year general surgery fellow. He is surgeon's assistant to Park Min-gook. Though Ho-joon fears him, his loyalty to Min-gook led him to follow the doctor to Doldam Hospital.

• Park Hyo-joo as Shim Hye-jin

A professor of anesthesiology at Geosan University Hospital. She is an authoritative but kind woman who experienced death and suffering in her life.

• Bae Myung-jin as Heo Yeong-gyoo

A nurse at Geosan University Hospital.

Others

Special appearances

Season 1

First script reading took place September 13, 2016, at SBS Ilsan Production Studios in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province, South Korea. Filming started on September 23.

Season 2

The first script reading took place in September 2019 at SBS Ilsan Production Studios in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province, South Korea.

Han Suk-kyu, Kim Hong-pa, Jin Kyung, Im Won-hee, Byun Woo-min, Kim Min-jae, Choi Jin-ho, Jang Hyuk-jin, Yang Se-jong, Lee Gyu-ho and Yoon Na-moo reprised their roles from the first season.

Season 3

In September 2021, it was reported that production for Season 3 would begin in late 2021, but filming had to be postponed due to the actor's schedule and the outbreak of the COVID-19 virus. Season 3 is scheduled to be filmed with the goal of broadcasting in the first half of 2023.

Han Suk-kyu, Ahn Hyo-seop, Lee Sung-kyung, Byun Woo-min, Jung Ji-an, Im Won-hee, Jin Kyung, So Joo-yeon, Yoon Na-moo, Kim Min-jae, Shin Dong-wook, Yoon Bo-ra, Lee Shin-young and Lee Hong-nae has confirmed the casting for season 3.

Season 1

Season 2

Season 3