Resident Playbook Release Date, Storyline, and Everything You Need to Know
Resident Playbook (2023) is a South Korean medical drama series directed by Shin Won-ho and Lee Woo-jung, the creators of the Hospital Playlist series. Located at the Jongno branch of Yulje Medical Center, this much-anticipated spin-off chronicles the work and love lives of young obstetrics and gynecology residents.
It follows their struggles in an unpopular field of medicine in an era of declining birth rates, and more importantly, it showcases the deep friendships that develop in this population of medical professionals.
Resident Playbook will feature Go Youn-jung, Shin Si-ah, Han Ye-ji, Kang You-seok, and Jung Joon-won. It will surely provide the medical, heartwarming, and character-building experience that fans of Korean medical dramas know and love.
Resident Playbook Release Date
After numerous delays due to the 2024 South Korean healthcare crisis, Resident Playbook is confirmed to hit April 12il 12, 2025. (tvN originally announced the series as part of its 2024 drama lineup, which anticipated a release in early 2024.) Production was affected when many doctors, residents, and interns in South Korea resigned and halted their studies to protest government proposals for medical school enrollment.
Several delays later, in September 2024, it was decided to push the release back to 2025. With that release window now confirmed, expect promotional activities to kick off sometime in early 2025 as the premiere draws nearer.
The Retrofitted Medical Drama Everyone Had It Wrong About
Resident Playbook, a new South Korean medical drama, is set to be one of the hottest dramas on TVN from April 12 to April 12, 2025. A spin-off of the hit Hospital Playlist series, the show will be aired every Saturday and Sunday at 9:10 PM KST and will be available for streaming on Netflix in select regions.
The series centers around young obstetrics and gynecology residents at the Jongno branch of Yulje Medical Center. These dedicated practitioners work in a specialty that faces unique challenges in an age of declining birth rates.
A Short Synopsis: Life Inside the Hospital Meets Community
Resident Playbook tracks a group of obstetrics and gynecology interns in a bustling university hospital. The story has half a dozen professional journeys unfolding in parallel and the friendships that grow as they navigate the daily struggles of practicing medicine together. The residents walked into what’s depicted as an unpopular department during a time of low birth rates in South Korea.
By setting the story within the realms of both work and romantic dynamics, the new tale builds the foundation for exploring the personalities of its characters as professionals and people while remaining true to the emotional premise that made Hospital Playlist such a hit among viewers.
It already sounds like it offers just the right mix of the medical procedures, camaraderie, and emotional highs and lows of hospital life that are so beloved by fans of Korean medical dramas.
Star-Studded Cast Adds New Spin
Main Cast
| Actor | Character | Role Description |
|---|---|---|
| Go Youn-jung | Oh Yi-young | A passionate and dedicated first-year OB-GYN resident |
| Shin Si-ah | Pyo Nam-kyung | A first-year resident bringing a unique perspective to the department |
| Han Ye-ji | Kim Sa-bi | A first-year resident and one of the trio of young female doctors |
| Kang You-seok | Um Jae-il | A male first-year resident in the OB-GYN department |
| Jung Joon-won | [TBA] | Another OB-GYN resident completing the leading group |
Supporting Cast (Professors & Mentors)
| Actor | Role |
|---|---|
| Lee Bong-ryun | Professor/Mentor |
| Lee Chang-hoon | Professor/Mentor |
| Jeong Soon-won | Professor/Mentor |
| Son Ji-yoon | Professor/Mentor |
| Lee Hyun-kyun | Professor/Mentor |
How To Watch Resident Playbook
Resident Playbook will air every Saturday and Sunday at 9:10 PM KST, beginning February 12, 2025, on TVN. International fans of the show will be able to watch the series when it streams on Netflix in some regions soon after its Korean broadcast. This open horizon in the global field follows the course the world took with Hospital Playlist and previously with other Korean dramas, which is why the world will see this.
South Korea: The series will most likely be available to stream on local platforms that provide access to tvN shows. Netflix subscribers can find out if it is available in their region on the regional Netflix catalog, which will be updated around the premiere date.
Our Development And Creative Team Behind The Scenes
This new project comes from the creative team behind Hospital Playlist. Based on the critically acclaimed series Reply and Hospital Playlist, Resident Playbook is helmed by Shin Won-ho and Lee Jung.
The series is directed by Lee Min-soo and written by Kim Song-hee, who has worked as an assistant writer on Reply 1988 and Hospital Playlist, among others. The production company Eggiscoming handles the overall production, which guarantees the same quality that the viewers are used to from the creators.
According to reports, the series’ development began in 2023. Director Shin Won-ho started the project, which was reported as the sequel to Hospital Playlist. There had been rumors it would be a prequel, but the creative team later said Resident Playbook would be its own standalone story, with links to the original series.
Top Talent Brought By The Casting Process
Resident Playbook is said to have cast its female lead, Go Youn-jung, in July, after casting started in mid-2023. Two months later, her participation was confirmed, and fans rejoiced.
Shin Si-ah was also cast as yet another female lead in September 2023, which was followed by the casting of Kang You-seok and Jung Joon-won to play the male leads. The main cast setup was completed by Han Ye-ji, adding yet another talented force to the mix and creating a well-rounded cast ready to portray the life of the medical residents.
The choice of actors indicates that the producers wanted actors who would balance the technical against the emotional. The actors needed to be equipped to portray medical professionals but also meaningfully portray characters with emotional depth.
Production Challenges: The Stokes Medical Crisis
Life got in the way: filming plans for Resident Playbook hit roadblocks. Filming was set to begin in October 2023, while principal photography was planned for the second half of 2023. But in early 2024, production faced a significant roadblock.
The 2024 South Korean medical crisis hit the show’s production schedule directly when droves of doctors, residents, and interns quit and stopped studying in protest against the government’s plan to raise medical school enrollment.
By that point, the medical world was no longer a safe abstraction but the reality of this Pandemic, and it attracted delays and suffered from this real-life situation about the series that has professional characters of medicine.
In February 2024, tvN reported that the broadcast date could be postponed depending on the situation. Subsequent reports in March confirmed the series had been pushed to the latter half of 2024, but an exact date is still unknown. With multiple delays, September 2024 was the decided time for release, and it was pushed back to 2025.
Both presented challenges and possibly added to the storytelling grounded in contemporary, relevant issues, as the real world collided with the show’s medical themes. We’re also using this information to help us find gaps in the market; if we discover something we think we could cover, we’ll recruit additional staff.
After many delays, the Resident Playbook is now set to air on tvN on Saturdays and Sundays from January 12 to December 12, 2025. Thus, the show will air in the prime weekend slot of 9:10 PM KST.
Because the series will receive Netflix distribution in a few selected regions, the potential audience will also reach outside South Korea. This global distribution strategy continues the already successful model pioneered by Korea’s Hospital Playlist and other smash-hit Korean dramas.
The show was first announced as one of tvN’s 2024 drama roster in January this year, with an original speculation of airing after Queen of Tears sometime in May 2024. However, the indefinite postponement, now broken by the new 2025 opening date, transpired because of the continuing medical strike in South Korea.
FAQ
Are Resident Playbook and Hospital Playlist related?
Resident Playbook is a spin-off of the 2020-2021 series Hospital Playlist. It’s by the same team, but this series zeroes in on new characters who work in the obstetrics and gynecology department at Yulje Medical Center.
What caused the Resident Playbook to be delayed?
The series had been delayed several times because of the 2024 South Korean medical crisis, during which many medical professionals protested against the government’s plan to increase medical school enrollment. This real-world situation directly affected the show’s production schedule because it concerned medical residents.
From National Geographic to Streaming Secrets?
Cast of the Resident Playbook Other prominent cast members include Go Youn-jung (as Oh Yi-young), Shin Si-ah (as Pyo Nam-kyung), Han Ye-ji (as Kim Sa-bi), Kang You-seok (as Um Jae-il), and Jung Joon-won (as another obstetrics and gynecology resident).
Where can I watch Resident Playbook?
Starting on April 12, 2025, Resident Playbook will air every Saturday and Sunday at 12:10 PM KST on TVN and will be available to stream on Netflix in some regions.
Is the Resident Playbook story based on real life?
Although the show is fictional, it is set against the backdrop of real-life issues confronting medical workers in South Korea, including the challenges of working in fields impacted by dwindling birth rates.
Final Thoughts
The story of Resident Playbook, behind the scenes and in front of the camera, is a series of resilience tests, much like the characters who were a part of it: overcoming obstacles, bending and molding to challenges, and, ultimately, persevering. The Korean medical drama needs a new season that will open to viewers in April 2025.
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