When first announced in 2023 as a spin-off based on tvN‘s beloved Hospital Playlist franchise, Resident Playbook was highly anticipated. It was said to premiere sometime in 2024 (and then confirmed to follow Queen of Tears). Set in the same universe as Hospital Playlist, the spin-off garnered much attention, with lead actress Go Yoon Jung playing a first-year gynecology resident.
But in February 2024, only three months before the scheduled premiere, South Korean medical professionals went on a collective strike against the government—a “real-life medical crisis” that left the nation’s hospitals in shambles.
Thousands of such doctors have walked off the job since February 2024 to protest a government plan to add more students to medical schools. Both sides have disputed the remedies needed to fix the healthcare system in a rapidly aging nation.
— Reuters
As the public perception of medical residents took a sharp turn for the worse, the premiere of Resident Playbook was postponed indefinitely and even threatened to be scrapped completely—despite its production being completed.
That all said, one question remained: Will people tune Resident Playbook?
After all the struggles, though, Resident Playbook has finally premiered as of April 12, 2025 (KST). The very first episode portrayed the chaotic and relatable journey of four first-year OB-GYN residents: Oh Yi Young (Go Yoon Jung), Pyo Nam Kyung (actress Shin Si A), Eom Jae Il (Kang You Seok, now a familiar face for his role as Eun Myung in When Life Gives You Tangerines), and Kim Sa Bi (Han Ye Zee) as they embarked on their professional lives at Yulje Medical Center in Jongno.
It actually recorded a strong start with viewer ratings at an average of 4.4% and a peak of 6.2% in the Seoul metropolitan area, and 3.7% average with a peak of 5.2% nationwide. These numbers ranked it #1 among cable and general programming channels in its time slot.
Among tvN’s target demographic of viewers aged 20 to 49, the ratings were also impressive: an average of 2.8% and a peak of 4.1% in the Seoul area, and 2.6% average with a peak of 3.4% nationwide, again taking the top spot across all channels in its time slot (based on Nielsen Korea data).
Given the numbers, things are looking hopeful for the second episode, too—especially featuring a surprise cameo from “the only villain” of Hospital Playlist.
As for the strike that started it all, it has not reached a resolution yet. However, with former South Korean president Yoon Suk Yeol getting arrested, jailed, and ultimately impeached for his martial law declaration, his move for medical reform has also been frozen.
Yoon Suk Yeol Has Officially Been Impeached From South Korea’s Presidency
South Korea’s education ministry has agreed to freeze the number of new medical students at about 3,000 a year, it said on Friday, in a bid to end a 13-month dispute involving a walkout by resident doctors and the boycott of classes from medical students.
— Reuters
Resident Playbook is available on Netflix for streaming. Here are 10+ more K-Dramas to watch in April 2025: