Jung I-chan plays Shin Ju-shin, the head of neurosurgery at Nua Hospital, in TV CHOSUN's weekend miniseries Doctor Shin (written by Phoebe/Im Seong-han). The episodes aired on the 21st and 22nd.
On the series, Shin Ju-shin is a genius whose neurosurgical skill verges on the miraculous. He stunned viewers by performing a radical operation that swapped the brains of his lover, Momo (Baek Se-ra), and Momo’s prospective mother-in-law, Hyeon Ran-hee (Song Ji-in).
Shin Ju-shin was unsettled when Momo awoke from surgery speaking and behaving like Hyeon Ran-hee. The disorienting shift eventually reduced him to tears. With nothing more than a look, he summoned vivid memories of the life he shared with Momo, a moment that resonated with viewers.
His single-minded devotion only intensified. He confronted reporter Geum Ba-ra (Joo Se-bin), who was probing Momo’s past, by reminding her she came from the Nua Foundation orphanage. After their private meeting, an unplanned interview ran, prompting Shin to explode: "Do you repay kindness with enmity?"—a chilling rebuke that raised the stakes.
The death of Hyeon Ran-hee, who had received Momo’s brain, marked a turning point for Shin Ju-shin. He tried to console a wailing Momo (inhabited by Hyeon Ran-hee’s brain) but couldn’t hide his conflicted emotions. At the mortuary, he silently asked the body, "Momo, did I do the right thing? Did I have to let you go like this?"—a tightly controlled display of grief.
Jung I-chan captivated audiences with a nuanced, three-tiered performance, conveying sorrow, anger and anguish through the subtlest tremors of his facial muscles. As he confronts the cruel reality of Hyeon Ran-hee wearing Momo’s face, viewers are eager to see how Shin Ju-shin will respond.
Doctor Shin airs Saturdays and Sundays at 10:30 p.m. KST on TV CHOSUN.
Sojeong Lee, TenAsia reporter forusojung@tenasia.co.kr
