'The Trauma Code' portrays a heroic doctor

Released on Jan. 24, the Netflix series “The Trauma Code: Heroes on Call” starts with Kang Hyeok heroically working on the battlefield. Unlike the original web novel “Trauma Center: Golden Hour,” which opens with his arrival at a Korean severe trauma team, the TV drama features thrilling action scenes designed to showcase his exceptional nature more intensely.

“The Trauma Code: Heroes on Call” portrays Kang Hyeok, who returns to South Korea from overseas, striving to revitalize the trauma unit. This series has been garnering global attention, topping Netflix's Top 10 Non-English Shows list shortly after its release.

The recipe for the drama’s huge popularity is how Kang Hyeok’s heroic character is portrayed in the story. Whereas the original webtoon emphasizes his genius surgery skills, the drama intensifies this element. It is filled with suspense and tension thanks to his superb performance, even leading viewers to comment that it is “just like a comic book.”

“In a severe trauma center, people are dying right in front of us while those who have lost their loved ones are crying out in panic,” said the drama’s director, Lee Do-yoon, in a written interview with The Dong-A Ilbo. “I imagined a 'hero' coming up and doing the magic to save the dying patients.”

“Actor Ju Ji-hoon is a hilarious, witty guy, making him way more like an ‘Iron Man’ than the character Kang Hyeok that he plays in the story,” the director said. “We worked hard to add a show-off streak and a sense of humor to make the character less disconnected from reality.”

While the TV series focuses on reflecting the realities of trauma surgery without rushing to conclusions, the original web novel applies the author’s opinions about what the medical field is faced with. “The lack of progress in South Korea’s trauma units was not a topic worth mentioning,” Lee Nak-joon, a former physician turned author, expresses his candid thoughts in writing. “Even when doctors with a sense of duty join trauma surgery, they end up with no one to teach them.”


이호재 hoho@donga.com