Kim So-hyun honors late director Ahn as his final drama ‘Love Doctor’ premieres
In short
The late director Ahn Pan-seok’s final drama, ‘Love Doctor’ (연애박사), premiered on Oct. 5 with Choo Young-woo and Kim So-hyun in the lead roles. Kim So-hyun marked the first broadcast with a social media post saying she would never forget what she learned from Ahn, who died on Aug. 12 at the age of 64. Chosun Ilbo described the series as a Disney+ title while Hankook Ilbo called it an ENA drama.
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The late director Ahn Pan-seok’s final work, the drama ‘Love Doctor’ (연애박사), premiered on Oct. 5, with Choo Young-woo and Kim So-hyun in the lead roles, Chosun Ilbo and Hankook Ilbo reported. The two outlets described the release differently: Chosun Ilbo called the series a Disney+ title, while Hankook Ilbo called it an ENA drama. [ 1 , 2 ]
Ahead of the first broadcast, Kim So-hyun wrote on her social media account that ‘Love Doctor’ was airing that day, Hankook Ilbo reported. She said that “everything from the tension when I first received the script to the worries I had while filming, the moments we cried and laughed together, all pass vividly through my mind.” She said she would never forget everything she heard and learned from “the respected late director Ahn Pan-seok,” and that although she felt regret that she should have done a little better, she thought he would have told her it was good as it was, adding that she would watch the first episode with gratitude. Newsis also reported that she commemorated the director ahead of the premiere, saying she felt regret and missed him. [ 2 , 3 ]
According to Hankook Ilbo, the series is a romance between two young people who meet in a laboratory: Minjae (Choo Young-woo), a doctoral student who was a swimmer in high school but lost one leg to illness, and Yujin (Kim So-hyun), a master’s student who lost her career path and wandered before taking a new one. Chosun Ilbo’s summary gave the same description of the two characters. [ 1 , 2 ]
Director Ahn died on Aug. 12 at the age of 64, Hankook Ilbo reported. He had collapsed from a cerebral hemorrhage and was hospitalized for treatment when his condition worsened, according to the outlet. His credits include ‘White Tower,’ ‘Something in the Rain,’ ‘One Spring Night’ and ‘Secret Love Affair,’ and ‘Love Doctor’ is the work with which he was due to meet viewers. [ 2 ]
Why it matters
The premiere releases the last work of a director known for several widely watched Korean series, so it is the first chance for viewers to see the project he finished before his death. The documents describe the series as both a Disney+ title and an ENA drama, so where audiences can watch it is stated differently by two national outlets. The documents give no figures on ratings or reception, so the scale of the drama’s impact is not yet known.
Key facts
- ‘Love Doctor’ (연애박사) is the final work of director Ahn Pan-seok and premiered on Oct. 5. [ 1 , 2 ]
- Choo Young-woo and Kim So-hyun play the lead roles. [ 1 , 2 ]
- Kim So-hyun commemorated Ahn in a social media post on the day of the first broadcast, saying she would never forget everything she heard and learned from him. [ 2 , 3 ]
- Director Ahn died on Aug. 12 at the age of 64 after collapsing from a cerebral hemorrhage and being hospitalized, according to Hankook Ilbo. [ 2 ]
- The story follows Minjae (Choo Young-woo), a doctoral student who was a high school swimmer but lost one leg to illness, and Yujin (Kim So-hyun), a master’s student who lost her career path before taking a new one, as they meet in a laboratory. [ 1 , 2 ]
- Ahn’s directing credits include ‘White Tower,’ ‘Something in the Rain,’ ‘One Spring Night’ and ‘Secret Love Affair,’ Hankook Ilbo reported. [ 2 ]
- Chosun Ilbo called the series a Disney+ title, while Hankook Ilbo described it as an ENA drama. [ 1 , 2 ]
Confirmed by several sources
Still unclear
- The platform or channel airing ‘Love Doctor’. Chosun Ilbo described the series as a Disney+ title while Hankook Ilbo called it an ENA drama, and the documents do not reconcile the two descriptions.
- How the premiere was received and how many viewers watched it. The documents were published on the day of the first broadcast and give no ratings, reviews or audience figures.
What local media are saying
Timeline, local time
- Director Ahn Pan-seok dies at 64; Hankook Ilbo reports he had collapsed from a cerebral hemorrhage and his condition worsened while he was hospitalized. [ 2 ]
- Chosun Ilbo reports that Ahn’s final work, ‘Love Doctor,’ premieres today with Choo Young-woo and Kim So-hyun in the leads. [ 1 ]
- Hankook Ilbo publishes Kim So-hyun’s social media tribute to Ahn on the day of the premiere. [ 2 ]
- Newsis reports Kim So-hyun’s commemoration of Ahn ahead of the first broadcast. [ 3 ]