Ryu Hyun-kyung, Lee Ki-woo
The cast for SBS’s upcoming drama Doctor Detective is taking shape, and Ryu Hyun-kyung (Happy to Die) has just been confirmed as the show’s female lead.
She’ll be joining Lee Ki-woo (Fate and Wrath) as they play a pair of chaebol siblings who handle their privilege in different ways. Ryu will be playing the titular “doctor detective” and the drama will take aim at society through the lens of healthcare. Though death is a natural part of life, it’s not natural for another person to decide who lives and who dies. If society itself is ailing, the way forward may not be treatment but prevention. Ryu Hyun-kyung’s character will do her best to treat an ailing society by using her medical and investigative skills to bring light to the absurd fact that there are still people who die from easily prevented diseases.
Ryu Hyun-kyung’s not really a people person–she prefers spending time with her microscope looking at cells over hanging out with humans. Interestingly, even though she has an older brother, she was considered the clear successor to the family company. Though she could have been the heir to the chaebol throne, she decided to study medicine instead.
Park Jin-hee, Bong Tae-kyu, Lee Young-jin
Lee Ki-woo will be playing Ryu Hyun-kyung’s unambitious oppa. He’s gifted, but he has no ambition or desire for anything. He’s mostly defined by his longing for the relative freedom of his youth and his ex-wife. He and Park Jin-hee (Return) were once married but after a marital indiscretion on his part, they divorced. He hasn’t quite gotten over her and he cares more about Park Jin-hee than he does the family company.
The other confirmed cast members are Bong Tae-kyu (Return) and Lee Young-jin (Matrimonial Chaos).
Bong will be playing a superficial and vain doctor who harbors a secret desire to avenge his father’s tragic and gruesome death. Lee Young-jin is a more benevolent character, she’s described as a Florence Nightingale-type nurse who’s dedicated to her job and cares deeply for her patients.
Move over priests and exorcists, it looks like social satire is the latest dramaland trend. Doctor Detective will start shooting in April and is set to premiere in July after Love at First Sight concludes its run.