'Doctor X' faces petition to halt airing over Gwangju Uprising depiction

A National Assembly petition calls for a review of “Doctor X: Mafia in White” and a halt to its broadcast after Episode 6 depicted the 1980 Gwangju Uprising. The petitioner said the uprising was not connected to the plot and remains politically contested in some details. The Korean adaptation added the storyline, which does not appear in the Japanese original. The petition gathered the 100 supporters required to be made public.

Episode 6 showed a character suffering from a head gunshot wound sustained during the uprising, with flashbacks to Gwangju and scenes of tear gas and bullets striking ordinary citizens.

Chief producer Lee Ok-kyu posted the drama’s poster on social media shortly after the episode aired, adding the phrase “no fear” without elaborating.

The crackdown on the 1980 uprising left hundreds dead or missing, and the movement has since been recognized as a pivotal moment in Korea’s democratization.

The May 18 Foundation reported finding 5,182 posts, comments and videos distorting or denigrating the uprising between February and November last year, roughly 200 percent more than in the same period a year earlier.

Under a 2021 special act, distorting or defaming the uprising can carry up to five years in prison; police booked 120 suspects under the act from 2021 through April this year, and referred 67 to prosecutors.

Published Oct 27, 2026 7:00 am KST

Medical drama joins list of disputes over fictional portrayals of Korea's modern history

A scene from "Doctor X" / Courtesy of SBS

The Korean medical drama “Doctor X: Mafia in White” has become the latest target of political controversy over how fictional works portray history, after a National Assembly petition demanded a halt to its airing over its depiction of the 1980 Gwangju Uprising.

The petition, posted Saturday on the National Assembly’s petition website, calls for a review of the drama’s production and a halt to its broadcast. It has gathered the 100 supporters required to be made public. The petitioner said Episode 6, which aired Saturday, depicted the 1980 pro-democracy movement in Gwangju despite its having no connection to the plot.

“The uprising remains a political issue, with the ruling and opposition parties and the left and right divided on some aspects,” the petitioner said. “Broadly, no one would dispute that it is a painful chapter of history, but it is hard to accept a drama abruptly using the uprising, which is still politically contested in its details.”

The episode featured a character suffering the effects of a gunshot wound to the head sustained during the uprising, along with flashbacks to Gwangju in 1980 and scenes of tear gas and bullets striking ordinary citizens.

The Korean series is an adaptation of the Japanese medical drama “Doctor X: Surgeon Michiko Daimon.” The Gwangju Uprising storyline does not appear in the Japanese original and was introduced by the Korean production, making it a deliberate creative choice specific to the local adaptation.

Shortly after the episode aired, Lee Ok-kyu, chief producer of the drama, posted its poster on social media with the phrase “no fear,” without elaborating.

The pro-democracy movement erupted in the southwestern city of Gwangju in 1980, when citizens stood up against the imposition of martial law extended nationwide by the military junta led by Chun Doo-hwan, who would become president later that year.

The crackdown left hundreds dead or missing and it has since been recognized as a pivotal moment in Korea’s long road to democratization, though some in far-right circles denigrate the movement.

A poster for “The Assassin(s)” hangs at a movie theater in Seoul, Oct. 11. Yonhap

The controversy is the latest in a string of disputes over fictional portrayals of history. Last month, director Hur Jin-ho’s historical thriller “The Assassin(s)” sparked a growing political dispute and a defamation investigation over its depiction of the 1974 shooting that killed then-first lady Yuk Young-soo.

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The Gwangju Uprising has also been at the center of controversy, particularly this year, as attempts to insult or ridicule it have emerged despite being long recognized as a pro-democracy movement.

On May 18, Starbucks Korea launched a “Tank Day” promotion, using the phrase in a way widely condemned as denigrating the pro-democracy movement. The backlash drew responses from consumers and politicians alike.

In June, the Paichai High School baseball team was embroiled in controversy after some players repeatedly chanted “Let’s go, let’s go, let’s go to Starbucks” in unison during a match against Gwangju Jeil High School, evoking the promotion. One even shouted “Tank Day.”

False claims about the pro-democracy movement, including assertions that it was a riot or involved North Korean troops, are also common online and continue to circulate among far-right circles.

The May 18 Foundation said in May that it found 5,182 posts, comments and videos distorting or denigrating the uprising between February and November last year, up roughly 200 percent from the same period a year earlier.

Under a 2021 special act, distorting or defaming the uprising can carry up to five years in prison, though enforcement has been limited.

National Police Agency data submitted to Rep. Yang Bu-nam of the Democratic Party of Korea shows that police have booked 120 suspects under the act from 2021 through April this year, with only 67 referred to prosecutors.

韩国国会请愿书要求审查电视剧《Doctor X：白衣黑手党》，并要求停止播出。请愿书指出，该剧第六集描绘了1980年光州事件，而光州事件与剧情并无关联，且部分细节仍存在政治争议。韩版电视剧添加了这段日版原剧中没有的剧情。该请愿书已获得100个签名，达到公开所需的签名人数。

第 6 集讲述了一个角色在起义中头部中枪受伤的故事，穿插着光州的回忆片段，以及催泪瓦斯和子弹袭击普通市民的场景。

该剧播出后不久，总制作人李玉圭在社交媒体上发布了该剧的海报，并加上了“无所畏惧”的字样，但没有做任何解释。

1980 年的起义遭到镇压，数百人死亡或失踪，此后这场运动被认为是韩国民主化进程中的一个关键时刻。

5月18日基金会报告称，去年2月至11月期间，他们发现了5182条歪曲或诋毁起义的帖子、评论和视频，比上年同期增加了约200%。

根据 2021 年的一项特别法案，歪曲或诽谤起义可判处最高五年监禁；从 2021 年到今年 4 月，警方根据该法案逮捕了 120 名嫌疑人，并将 67 人移交检察官。

发布于2026年10月27日 上午7:00（韩国标准时间）

医疗剧也加入了关于虚构作品对韩国现代史描绘的争议行列。

《X博士》剧照 / 图片由SBS提供

韩国医疗剧《Doctor X：白衣黑帮》因对 1980 年光州事件的描述而引发政治争议，成为最新一起关于虚构作品如何描绘历史的政治争议的焦点。此前，一份国会请愿书要求停止该剧的播出。

这份于周六发布在国会请愿网站上的请愿书，呼吁审查该剧的制作并停止播出。请愿书已获得100名支持者，达到公开所需的签名人数。请愿者称，周六播出的第六集描绘了1980年光州民主运动，但与剧情并无关联。

请愿者表示：“这场起义仍然是一个政治问题，执政党和反对党、左翼和右翼在某些方面存在分歧。总的来说，没有人会否认这是历史上痛苦的一页，但很难接受一部戏剧突然利用这场起义——其细节至今仍存在政治争议——来创作。”

该集讲述了一个角色在起义中头部中枪后遭受的痛苦，以及1980年光州的回忆片段，还有催泪瓦斯和子弹袭击普通市民的场景。

这部韩剧改编自日本医疗剧《Doctor X：外科医生大门美智子》。光州暴动的情节在日版原著中并不存在，是韩版制作方特意加入的，是专为本土改编而做出的创作选择。

该剧播出后不久，该剧的总制片人李玉奎在社交媒体上发布了该剧的海报，上面写着“无所畏惧”，但没有做任何解释。

1980 年，光州西南城市爆发了民主运动。当时，民众奋起反抗由全斗焕领导的军政府在全国范围内实施的戒严令。全斗焕后来成为当年的总统。

镇压行动造成数百人死亡或失踪，此后它被认为是韩国漫长民主化道路上的一个关键时刻，尽管一些极右翼人士诋毁这场运动。

10月11日，首尔一家电影院外悬挂着电影《刺客》的海报。（韩联社）

这场争议是近期一系列围绕历史虚构作品引发的争议中的最新一起。上个月，许晋浩导演的历史惊悚片《刺客》因其对1974年导致时任第一夫人陆英秀遇刺身亡事件的描述，引发了日益激烈的政治争议和诽谤调查。

【封面故事】《刺客》制作方因剧中朴正熙密谋杀害妻子的情节面临调查

“摆烂日”争议蔓延至高中棒球赛

从消费者到政界人士，星巴克韩国面临日益高涨的抵制浪潮。

光州起义也一直处于争议的中心，尤其是今年，尽管它长期以来被公认为一场亲民主运动，但仍出现了侮辱或嘲笑它的企图。

5月18日，星巴克韩国推出“坦克日”促销活动，其使用“坦克”一词的方式被广泛谴责，被认为有损韩国民主运动的声誉。此举引发了消费者和政界人士的强烈反弹。

6月，白柴高中棒球队卷入了一场争议，原因是部分球员在与光州第一高中的比赛中反复齐声高喊“加油，加油，去星巴克”，暗示星巴克正在进行促销活动。其中一名球员甚至高喊“坦克日”。

关于民主运动的虚假说法，包括声称这是一场骚乱或朝鲜军队参与其中，在网上也很常见，并且继续在极右翼圈子中流传。

5 月 18 日基金会在 5 月份表示，他们发现去年 2 月至 11 月期间有 5182 条帖子、评论和视频歪曲或诋毁了这场起义，比上年同期增加了约 200%。

根据 2021 年的一项特别法案，歪曲或诽谤起义可判处最高五年监禁，但执法力度有限。

韩国国家警察厅向韩国民主党议员杨富南提交的数据显示，从2021年到今年4月，警方根据该法对120名嫌疑人进行了立案调查，但只有67人被移送检察机关。