Doctor Shin
2026 South Korean television series
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Doctor Shin (Korean: 닥터신) is an ongoing South Korean medical melodrama thriller television series written by Phoebe, directed by Lee Seung-hoon, and starring Jung E-chan in the title role, along with Baek Seo-ra, Ahn Woo-yeon, Joo Se-bin, Cheon Young-min, Song Ji-in, Jeon No-min, and Ji Young-san. The series tells the story of a genius neurosurgeon, Doctor Shin, who dares to defy the boundaries of life and death, and a woman, whose soul is lost after a brain injury leaves her in a coma. It premiered on TV Chosun on March 14, 2026, and airs every Saturday and Sunday at 22:30 (KST). It is also available for streaming on Coupang Play.
| Doctor Shin | |
|---|---|
Promotional poster | |
| Hangul | 닥터신 |
| RR | Dakteo Sin |
| MR | Takt'ŏ Sin |
| Genre | |
| Written by | Phoebe |
| Directed by | Lee Seung-hoon |
| Starring |
|
| Country of origin | South Korea |
| Original language | Korean |
| No. of episodes | 2 |
| Production | |
| Producers |
|
| Production companies |
|
| Original release | |
| Network | TV Chosun |
| Release | March 14, 2026 – present |
Synopsis
Shin Ju-shin, a neurosurgeon at Nua Hospital, is engaged to a top actress Momo. Following a mysterious accident, Momo falls into a coma and suffers brain death. Unable to bear watching her unconscious, Momo's mother, Hyun Ran-hee, begs the doctor to perform a risky brain transplant. Driven by obsessive love, Shin pursues a forbidden medical procedure and swaps the mother's and daughter's brains. The body survives, but an unexpected event occurs later.
Cast and characters
Main
- Jung E-chan as Shin Ju-shin[1]
- A genius brain surgery expert, he is the director of the neurosurgery department at Nua Hospital and the chairman of the Nua Foundation. Inheriting his father Dr. Shin Woo-pil's exceptional skill in brain surgery, he boasts an aristocratic appearance and strong social standing.
- Baek Seo-ra as Momo[1]
- Ju-shin's fiancée, is a top actress who is about to marry him, but after a catastrophic scuba diving accident in the ocean, she loses consciousness, and her condition becomes more critical. It severely damages her brain, leaving her in a coma, although her body is unharmed. As her brain is swapped with another's by her fiancé, her body is inhabited by another soul.
- Ahn Woo-yeon as Ha Yong-joong[1]
- A successful game developer, who is Ju-shin's close friend.
- Joo Se-bin as Geum Ba-ra[1]
- Comes from the Nua orphanage, she is the youngest journalist in Seongwoo Ilbo's culture department.
- Cheon Young-min as Kim Jin-ju[1]
- Momo's stylist at Jaeim Company.
- Song Ji-in as Hyun Ran-hee[1]
- Momo's mother, who is a gallery owner.
- Jeon No-min as James[1]
- Yong-joong's older brother, whose real name is Ha Jae-im. He is a top stylist and CEO of Jaeim Company.
- Ji Young-san as Paul Kim[1]
- A western painter.
Supporting
Episodes
| No. | Original release date | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | March 14, 2026 | |
|
Fell in love with Momo at first sight after seeing her TV drama performance, Shin Ju-shin asked Ha Yong-joong's brother James to arrange a meeting. When Momo met Shin, she declined dinner due to a reshoot and shot down his after-date plans.[3] | ||
| 2 | March 15, 2026 | |
|
Following their initial encounter, Shin Ju-shin appeared at Momo's house with flowers and, despite her prickly attitude, made a sudden proposal. Momo revealed her feelings for Shin Ju-shin to her mother, Hyun Ran-hee, but Ran-hee objected, citing the 13-year age gap.[4] | ||
Production
The development of Doctor Shin began when screenwriter Im Sung-han (credited as Phoebe), who penned Durian's Affair (2023), Love (ft. Marriage and Divorce) (2021), and Princess Aurora (2013), joined Arc Media[5] (now known as Syn&Studio[6]) in August 2023. Scheduling discussions were already underway in March 2025 for TV Chosun.[7] Five months later, Min Sun-hong,[note 1] Baek Seo-ra,[note 2] Ahn Woo-yeon, Song Ji-in, Ji Young-san, Joo Se-bin, and Cheon Young-min were cast to lead the series.[10] The lead and supporting actors were all chosen through auditions.[11] The series is a medical melodrama thriller directed by Lee Seung-hoon and produced by Syn&Studio and TME Group.[12]
Principal photography commenced in July 2025 and ended after seven months. It concluded in the Eulwang-ri area of Incheon.[13]
The screenwriter Phoebe describes the series as a story exploring how medicine and medical practice impact human lives and destinies, rather than a traditional medical drama. She named the protagonist Shin Ju-shin, using the character for 'spirit' (神), given the show's theme of altering the human brain. She and the producer sought novice actors who fit the characters' "unconventional, unique, and mysterious charm", and felt the auditions succeeded in finding them. Shin Ju-shin is described as a character who inherits his father's hospital, possessing confidence in his skills and a free spirit. To reflect the character's personality, Phoebe asked Jung E-chan to keep his hair long. This is the writer's debut medical thriller, exploring love's true target – body or soul – through brain swapping.[14]
Release
Viewership
| Season | Episode number | ||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | ||
| 1 | N/A | N/A | TBD | TBD | TBD | TBD | TBD | TBD | TBD | TBD | TBD | TBD | TBD | TBD | TBD | TBD | |
| Ep. | Original broadcast date | Average audience share (Nielsen Korea)[17][18] | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nationwide | Seoul | ||
| 1 | March 14, 2026 | 1.4% (12th) | 1.354% (10th) |
| 2 | March 15, 2026 | 1.4% (14th) | N/a |
| 3 | March 21, 2026 | ||
| 4 | March 22, 2026 | ||
| 5 | March 28, 2026 | ||
| 6 | March 29, 2026 | ||
| 7 | April 4, 2026 | ||
| 8 | April 5, 2026 | ||
| 9 | April 11, 2026 | ||
| 10 | April 12, 2026 | ||
| 11 | April 18, 2026 | ||
| 12 | April 19, 2026 | ||
| 13 | April 25, 2026 | ||
| 14 | April 26, 2026 | ||
| 15 | May 2, 2026 | ||
| 16 | May 3, 2026 | ||
| Average | — | — | |
