'Hospital Playlist' spin-off gets postponed due to medical crisis in South Korea

The medical K-drama Wise Resident Life has been indefinitely postponed due to the current medical strikes in South Korea. The series was set to air on tvN and Netflix this year.

Wise Resident Life is a spin-off series created from the popular medical drama Hospital Playlist. It chronicles the lives and friendships of resident doctors working in a university hospital.

However, in February, thousands of trainee doctors, including interns and residents, went on strike to oppose a government plan to increase medical student enrollment by 2,000 per year. The government claims this increase is necessary to address the problem of a projected doctor shortage.

Because of this, there were concerns that a medical drama could contribute to negative reactions.

Upon the release of the teasers for the series, online comments were overwhelmingly negative. Many viewers criticized the network for portraying doctors positively during a time of crisis. Several commenters suggested that the show should include scenes depicting the current situation, such as doctors leaving patients for strikes.

CJ ENM had initially planned to release the series in the second half of 2024, but a network representative confirmed that they are still working on rescheduling. However, they admitted that finding a new release date would be challenging.

"It’s difficult to broadcast this year. We are still coordinating the schedule," a representative from CJ ENM said.

On Thursday, South Korea announced a two-week special emergency medical response period for September and stated that they would utilize all available resources to guarantee healthcare services.

Yonhap reported that 42% fewer emergency room doctors are working in 53 hospitals surveyed across South Korea. Seven of these hospitals have indicated that they may partially close their emergency rooms.