After three years since season 2 aired, viewers got to see the Doldam Hospital family as tvN introduced Dr. Romantic 3.
Headlined by Han Suk Kyu, Ahn Hyo Seop, and Lee Sung Kyung, the much-awaited third sequel featured a mix of returning cast members and new faces.
The weekend K-drama, which premiered on April 16, delivered a successful debut with a soaring rating.
Dr. Romantic 3 Episode 1 Viewership
According to Neilsen Korea, Dr. Romantic 3 episode 1, garnered an average nationwide rating of 12.7 percent.
Interestingly, the weekend K-drama kicked off with a remarkable achievement after becoming the most-watched show of the day.
Moreover, the medical K-drama made history after it became the second-highest premiere rating of Friday-Saturday series on SBS.
The first was the hit K-drama The Penthouse 2: War in Life back in 2021.
Dr. Romantic 3 Episode 1 Recap
The pilot episode showcased several notable scenes, and one of the biggest highlights was the trauma center.
To recall, the finale episode of season 2 hints at Kim Sa Bu’s dream to establish a trauma center for Doldam Hospital to cater to more patients, especially the critical ones.
Interestingly, Dr. Romantic 3 episode 1 showcased how the legendary doctor was able to put up the center, which is currently not operational.
On the other hand, the episode began with Seo Woo Jin, together with Nurse Park Eun Tak and Dr. Jung In Soo, arriving at a ship after being called for an emergency case.
However, things get complicated since the patients were North Koreans who were on South Korean territory.
Seo Woo Jin called Dr. Kim for help since the emergency required immediate surgery, but the ship lacks equipment.
Thankfully, Cha Eun Jae and rookie doctor Jang Dong Hwa managed to locate Kim Sa Bu, who is in the middle of his vacation.
Dr. Kim, together with Cha Eun Jae, visited the ship to check on the emergency case.
Despite landing a successful operation without having proper equipment, the patient’s condition stabilized; however, Dr. Kim wants them to be transferred to Doldam since they need close monitoring.
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Due to the conflict with the patients’ nationality, the government wants to keep things under the radar and agreed to get patients treated at Doldam.
On the other hand, Kim Sa Bu was greeted by a familiar face after Doldam’s director, Park Min Guk, said that he wants veteran doctor Cha Jin Man to check out the trauma center before it gets running.
However, instead of showing warm recognition, Cha Jin Man ignored Kim Sa Bu and went straight to greet Cha Eun Jin.
She seemed surprised as she greeted the veteran doctor, calling him her father.
At this point, everyone was surprised to learn that Eun Jae’s father is one of Kim Sa Bu’s rivals.
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