Doctor on the Edge

Do Ji-ui is a plastic surgeon at a university hospital. He resigns to work as a public health doctor, which counts toward his mandatory military service. He hopes to avoid an island posting because of his trauma related to the sea. Unfortunately, he is assigned to work in the remote island village of Pyeongdong-do, an island that every public health doctor would want to avoid. In Pyeongdong-do, he meets Nurse Yook Ha-ri from the local public health branch. A former university hospital nurse, she moved to the island for undisclosed reasons.

Serving as Pyeongdong-do's public health doctor, Do Ji-ui helps the villagers and discovers compassion through their stories.

• Lee Jae-wook as Do Ji-ui^[2]

A former plastic surgeon at a university hospital turned into a public health doctor on Pyeondongdo.

• Shin Ye-eun as Yook Ha-ri^[2]

A nurse who moved from a university hospital to a public health center.

• Hong Min-gi as Hyun Chi-yeon^[2]

A medical public health doctor, who is a rival to Ji-ui.

• Lee Soo-kyung as Uhm Jeong-seon^[3]

A Pyeondongdo native working as a nurse in the Oriental Medicine Department.

• Kim Yoon-woo as Yong Joo-cheon^[2]

A traditional Korean medicine doctor.

• Jung Ae-yeon [ko]^[4]
• Lee Yoon-mi as Hong Geum-ja, who runs the Imokase Sashimi Restaurant.^[5]
• Joo In-young as Hwang Shin-hye, a nurse with 15 years of service at Pyeondongdo Health Center.^[6]

Development of Doctor on the Edge started as director Lee Myoungwoo, who helmed Boyhood (2023), One Ordinary Day (2021) and The Fiery Priest (2019), teamed up with KT Studio Genie to adapt Kim Tae-poong's webtoon Endurance Doctor.^[7] The production of the series was set to begin in 2024.^[8] In September 2025, Kim Ji-soo, writer of Pump Up the Healthy Love (2025) and Missing Crown Prince (2024), was confirmed as screenwriter, with The Studio M producing the series.^[3] By early 2026, the production renamed its Korean title from (존버닥터; Jonbeo dakteo) to (닥터 섬보이; Dakteo seomboi), opting for a less vulgar title.^[9]

Lee Jae-wook (L) and Shin Ye-eun (R)

Casting commenced in March 2025 after Lee Jae-wook's agency confirmed that he had been offered the lead role as doctor Do Ji-ui.^[10] Two months later, Shin Ye-eun was reportedly cast as the female lead, Yook Ha-ri, a nurse.^[11] Both actors were confirmed as the series leads in September 2025, and principal photography began that month. The project marks Lee's first role as a doctor.^[3][12] The same month, Hong Min-gi, Lee Soo-kyung, and Kim Yoon-woo joined the cast.^[13] The Gajo Island [ko] (Gajodo) area in Sadeung-myeon [ko], Geoje-si, South Gyeongsang Province, served primarily as the filming location for the series. The production team selected Gajo Island in Geoje for its coastal scenery and fishing village setting.^[14]

Doctor on the Edge was reportedly scheduled to premiere on ENA in 2026, and would also be subsequently streaming on Genie TV.^[3] By April 2026, the premiere date was confirmed to be on June 1, 2026, airing every Monday and Tuesday at 22:00 (KST).^[15] It is also available for streaming on Disney+ internationally.^{[citation needed]}

The Studio M, the production company, issued a statement on January 9, 2026, apologizing for issues arising during drama production, thanking staff for their efforts, and acknowledging concerns about filming hours. They stated they would take responsibility and address the issue. The Studio M further stated that they had adjusted schedules and reviewed production methods, but failed to adequately consider filming intensity and staff fatigue. They committed to adhering to a 52-hour filming week going forward and pledged to discuss solutions with staff for past instances exceeding this limit. The Hanbit Media Labor Rights Center reported the previous day that staff on the series had worked more than 52 hours per week.^[12]