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| From left, actors Ahn Hyo-seop, Han Suk-kyu and Lee Sung-kyung pose during a press conference for the new series, "Dr. Romantic 3," held at the broadcaster in Yangcheon District, Seoul, Wednesday. Courtesy of SBS |
By Lee Gyu-lee
The lead actors of the SBS' hit medical series, "Dr. Romantic," said they are grateful and excited for its return after three years with the third season, which will premiere on Friday.
The medical series, which released the first season in 2016 and the second in 2020, revolves around people at a small hospital in a remote countryside area, called Dol Dam Hospital, led by the genius doctor, Kim Sa-bu (Han Suk-kyu). Kim gave up his life as a top surgeon at a renowned hospital to come to work there and find a secluded, peaceful life, calling himself doctor romantic.
Working under Kim, fellow doctors, Seo Woo-jin (Ahn Hyo-seop) and Cha Eun-jae (Lee Sung-kyung), learn what it truly means to be a doctor and the purpose in life.
Director Yoo In-shik, who previously led the smash-hit series "Extraordinary Attorney Woo," has retrieved his role as director and will again lead the series' latest season.
"This is my seventh year working on this series, which counts to one-tenth of my life," Kim said during the press conference for the series, held at the broadcaster in Yangcheon District, Seoul, Wednesday. "That's how much I've lived as Kim Sa-bu. I felt lucky to have joined 'Dr. Romantic.' We have great teamwork."
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| A scene for the series "Dr. Romantic 3" / Courtesy of SBS |
Lee also expressed satisfaction with reuniting with the team. "I'm overwhelmed with joy that we could return with the third season. The reason we were able to win through struggles in any situation is that we still have each other," she said. "And as it's almost a miracle that we came back, we hope the viewers would fully enjoy (the series)."
Season 3 will pick up on Dol Dam staff's lives about three years after the previous seasons after deciding to establish its own medical foundation.
The director shared that the new season will have a denser plot than the previous seasons.
"Just seeing the actors, even in this press event, is so touching. Along with 'Dr. Romantic,' I've also become a long way. I'm filled with emotion. Season 3 will have a bigger scale, compared to Seasons 1 and 2, and will have colorful stories," he said. "Each of the actors has become the main character. It will be a series with a very dense plot. Along with the scale, it will also incorporate humanity, heartwarming story, and dilemmas in life from the previous seasons."
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| A poster for the series "Dr. Romantic 3" / Courtesy of SBS |
He also hinted that there will be deeper romance between Seo and Cha. "Their relationship and feelings (toward each other) have deepened than in Season 2 … and there also will be a huge obstacle between them. It would be interesting to see how they get over that," he said.
"In Season 2, they were more like newbies of the real world. The main question (for them) was how they can survive at Dol Dam Hospital, a place that requires dedication. But with Season 3, I wondered what they will be like when they now have seniority. With new juniors coming in, it would be fun to watch how they navigate being their seniors."
Actors Ahn expressed their close relationship in real life has helped them be in the characters.
"During Season 2, Lee and I weren't so close to each other so it worked playing each character who was trying to keep boundaries from each other. And now, three years have passed in real life and we've become close over the years. So playing our characters after three years (in the story) made it easier for us," Ahn said.
"Dr. Romantic 3" will air Fridays and Saturdays at 10 p.m.
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