tvN's New Drama 'Sly Doctor Life' Faces Cold Reception Amid Ongoing Medical Strikes

tvN's upcoming weekend drama, '언젠가는 슬기로울 전공의생활' (Sly Doctor Life), is set to premiere but is already facing a tepid response from viewers, largely due to the unresolved tensions between the medical community and the government.

In a teaser released on March 19, the newly minted residents at Yulje Hospital's obstetrics department—Oh Yi-young (고윤정), Pyo Nam-kyung (신시아), Eom Jae-il (강유석), and Kim Sa-bi (한예지)—are depicted struggling to assist a laboring mother, showcasing the hesitance of first-year residents who are unsure how to approach the patient.

A promotional poster for the first-year rounds captures the frantic moments of the four residents, with papers flying and one shoe lost, yet they cling to their phones and notebooks, providing a glimpse into their chaotic daily lives. The poster vividly illustrates the 'hectic life of a resident.'

However, the backdrop is grim. Since February of last year, a collective strike by hospital residents has led to a prolonged healthcare crisis, leaving the public to endure significant inconveniences. Recently, a pregnant woman collapsed at Incheon International Airport and was denied hospital admission for over two hours, resulting in her giving birth in an ambulance.

There have also been tragic incidents, such as a patient in Daegu who died after being unable to find a hospital for a forehead laceration, and a man who suffered a head injury from a fall but was sent home due to a lack of accepting hospitals, ultimately leading to his death. The ongoing conflict between the medical community and the government has resulted in what is known as the 'emergency room runaround issue,' where patients are repeatedly turned away.

The residents on strike have their reasons. Park Dan, the head of the Korean Intern Resident Association, criticized on social media that professors are forcing medical labor on residents and nurses. Professor Jeong Hee-won from Asan Medical Center also pointed out the professors' complicity in the harsh working conditions faced by residents.

In this context, 'Sly Doctor Life' is boldly entering the scene, ironically featuring residents as protagonists amid the ongoing strike. While Netflix's 'Emergency Center' found success as a medical fantasy, public sentiment towards medical dramas remains skeptical, yet 'Sly Doctor Life' is taking a chance.

It remains uncertain whether viewers will be able to separate the realities of the ongoing strikes from the fictional world of the drama. The promotional poster for 'Sly Doctor Life' has already attracted mocking comments, such as, 'Aren't they running to strike instead of seeing patients?' This contrasts sharply with the atmosphere surrounding the release of the previous work by director Shin Won-ho and writer Lee Woo-jung, '슬기로운 의사생활' (Hospital Playlist).

As the premiere date of April 12 approaches, all eyes will be on how 'Sly Doctor Life' is received by audiences.

'Sly Doctor Life' is a spin-off of 'Hospital Playlist,' focusing on the growth of residents navigating their early careers in medicine amidst the challenges posed by the healthcare crisis and the ongoing resident strikes, which delayed its release until now.