The eagerly awaited K-drama Resident Playbook, featuring Go Youn-jung, has finally premiered after facing delays. Initially set to debut in May 2024, the series launched its first episode on April 11, 2025, airing on tvN.
Last year, tvN had announced the drama’s anticipated release, which was intended to delve into the lives of medical residents and the challenges they encounter. However, in February 2024, significant unrest among South Korean medical professionals arose. They protested against the government’s decision to expand medical student admissions, leading some doctors to resign and creating public discontent that ultimately influenced the show’s release schedule.
This volatility prompted an indefinite delay for Resident Playbook, which was subsequently rescheduled for its April 2025 debut. Following the airing of its premiere episode, fans took to social media to express their excitement about the much-anticipated project, which is a spin-off of the popular series Hospital Playlist. A fan on X remarked:
“EVERYBODY UP IT’S #ResidentPlaybook DAY!! THE LONG WAIT IS FINALLY OVER!!”
“It still feels surreal watching this intro like, it’s finally not a dream anymore. It’s actually happening. It’s airing!”a user stated.
“It’s finally #ResidentPlaybook day! !!!! After waiting for it for a whole year or even longer & it almost getting cancelled, here we are! !!!”a fan reacted.
Support for Go Youn-jung poured in from fans eager to see her portrayal in the series:
“Lets gooooo #ResidentPlaybookEp1. We waited for so looooooong and we’re here,”a user commented.
“never forget the traumatising era of these gyj photos that haunted the tl when the drama got announced, delayed, postponed, and almost cancelled but she’s finally free,”another user commented.
“Finally!!!! #ResidentPlaybook is now playing on Netflix. Please come and support my woman #GoYounJung,”a fan stated.
As the story unfolds at the Yulje Medical Center, Jongno branch—famed as the backdrop for Hospital Playlist—fans expressed their nostalgia and excitement:
“Omggggg my beloved hospital is back. I can feel it in my soul. My peace,”a netizen mentioned.
“Back to Yulje brings me back to old times. Oh how much I miss Yulje Medical Centre,”a fan wrote.
“RESIDENT PLAYBOOK ERA, START!!! WELCOME TO THE YULJE NEW ERA GUYS!!! WE ARE SO BACK YULJEM!!!!”a user said.
Outstanding Viewership for Resident Playbook’s Premiere Episode
On its debut, Resident Playbook achieved impressive viewership ratings, with an average of 3.7% nationwide, according to Nielsen Korea. The episode peaked at 5.7%, making it the most-watched cable show during its timeslot, and in the Seoul metropolitan area, it recorded an average of 4.4%, peaking at 6.2%.
The series follows the experiences of medical residents at the Yulje Medical Center as they strive to develop into proficient surgeons. It highlights their challenges, errors, and growth as they transition into more adept medical professionals.
Starring Go Youn-jung as Oh Yi-young, alongside Shin Si-a as Pyo Nam-kyung, Kang You-seok as Eom Jae-il, and Han Ye-ji as Kim Sa-bi, the four residents tackle their responsibilities within the OB-GYN department of the medical facility.
Resident Playbook airs every Saturday and Sunday at 9:10 PM KST on tvN.