Kim Ji-won is back on television as a surgeon who refuses to bow to hospital politics in Doctor X: Mafia in White. But if you know her mostly from Queen of Tears or Descendants of the Sun, there’s another side of her screen career worth revisiting: a Joseon-era mystery involving suspicious deaths, vampire-like bite marks, and a woman whose past may hold the key to the case.
That movie is Detective K: Secret of the Living Dead, the third installment in the Detective K film series. Released in 2018, it gives Kim a very different setting and character from the one she plays in Doctor X. For anyone catching up with her latest drama, it’s a fun reminder of how much range a familiar actor can have across genres.
Kim Ji-won’s New Role in Doctor X: Mafia in White
In Doctor X: Mafia in White, Kim plays Gye Su-jeong, a brilliant surgeon who arrives at Guseo University Medical Center and quickly clashes with the people who run it. Her character is known as Doctor X, and she relies on her surgical ability rather than connections or workplace politics to make her case.
The hospital setting is less comforting than it might sound. The drama’s central conflict comes from a medical institution where status and influence can compete with patient care. Su-jeong’s refusal to play along makes her a disruptive presence, especially among people accustomed to protecting their positions.
The series premiered on October 9, 2026, and quickly drew attention. Its second episode reportedly reached a 14.9% nationwide rating in South Korea. The show also marks Kim’s return to a leading television role following Queen of Tears, which helped cement her popularity with a broad international audience.
What makes Su-jeong interesting is that she isn’t written as a conventional, endlessly agreeable doctor. She can be blunt, difficult, and unapologetically confident in her skills. That creates tension not only in the operating room but also in every conversation where someone expects her to know her place.
The Kim Ji-won Movie to Watch Next: Detective K: Secret of the Living Dead
If Doctor X has you interested in another Kim Ji-won performance, Detective K: Secret of the Living Dead is a good place to go next.
The 2018 film follows Detective K, played by Kim Myung-min, and his partner Seo-pil, played by Oh Dal-su. When a series of deaths occurs on Ganghwa Island, the pair investigates what initially appear to be ordinary murders. The case becomes stranger when the bodies show marks resembling vampire bites.
Kim Ji-won plays a mysterious woman suffering from amnesia who becomes involved in the investigation. As Detective K and Seo-pil follow the clues, they begin to suspect that she is connected to the deaths in ways she may not fully understand herself.
The setup gives the film room to mix historical adventure, comedy, mystery, and supernatural elements. Instead of following a straightforward detective story, it lets the investigation grow increasingly bizarre while keeping the partnership between Detective K and Seo-pil at its center.
Kim’s character also adds an important uncertainty to the story. She is not simply another person the detectives interview and leave behind. Her missing memories and possible connection to the victims make her part of the mystery itself.
The film was directed by Kim Sok-yun, who also directed the previous Detective K movies. Viewers unfamiliar with the franchise can still follow the central investigation, though the returning detective and his partner bring an established comic dynamic to the story.
Two Very Different Roles, One Familiar Face
The interesting connection between Doctor X and Detective K: Secret of the Living Dead is not that the characters are alike, but how differently the two stories use Kim Ji-won.
In Doctor X, she plays a surgeon whose expertise puts her in direct conflict with a powerful institution. Much of the tension comes from watching her challenge people who believe their positions give them control over the hospital.
In Detective K, uncertainty is the point. Her character’s amnesia leaves both the detectives and the audience trying to work out who she is and how she fits into a series of suspicious deaths. The story draws its energy from clues, strange developments, and the question of whether the apparent supernatural explanation is connected to the truth.
The contrast makes the older film especially appealing to viewers who discovered Kim through her recent dramas. It offers a chance to see her in a period setting and a genre blend that is far removed from the contemporary hospital drama.
Why It’s Worth Adding to Your Watchlist
If you’re following Doctor X: Mafia in White week by week, Detective K: Secret of the Living Dead offers a change of pace without asking you to leave Kim Ji-won’s filmography behind.
Choose Doctor X for a sharp lead character, tense medical cases, and the politics surrounding a hospital. Pick Detective K when you want a historical mystery that balances detective work with comedy and supernatural clues.
They’re very different viewing experiences, which is exactly what makes the connection worth exploring. An actor’s most recent hit can be a useful starting point, but sometimes an earlier, less obvious role is the most entertaining next watch.
