Netflix really has become the international place to stream K-dramas outside of their native South Korea, with a growing library of Korean classics. Just like the United States, South Korea has a huge selection of medical dramas, with one of 2025’s most anticipated K-dramas being the new show “Resident Playbook.” Available to stream in numerous territories on Netflix Korea, in addition to its linear television broadcast, the series has already proven enormously popular with audiences since premiering in April. Given the creative talent involved in bringing the show to life, it’s clear that “Resident Playbook” is living up to the hype around it.
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“Resident Playbook” takes place in a hospital in the heart of Seoul, following medical students in residency specializing in obstetrics and gynecology. These characters’ residency begins as South Korea experiences a prolonged historic low in its national birth rate, affecting perception of their department. As the medical school residents try to balance their messy personal lives with their burgeoning careers, their motivations in going into medicine are explored. Leading the ensemble is Oh Yi-young (Go Youn-jung), a first-year medical resident at Yulje Medical Center.
With so many other medical dramas on television, here’s why “Resident Playbook” is worth checking out.
What puts Resident Playbook a cut above many K-dramas
Upon its premiere, “Resident Playbook” topped the Netflix Korea streaming charts and was similarly popular with local viewers on broadcast television. A major factor behind the series’ buzz is its creators, Shin Won-ho and Lee Woo-jung, who previously created the “Reply” trilogy, “Prison Playbook,” and “Hospital Playlist.” All of their past collaborations have been acclaimed both domestically and overseas, with “Reply 1988” widely regarded as one of the greatest K-dramas ever made. “Resident Playbook” shares its setting of Yulje Medical Center with “Hospital Playlist,” with Chu Min-ha (Ahn Eun-jin) from the 2020 series briefly appearing, setting both shows in the same universe.
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Beyond its narrative links with Shin and Lee’s previous collaborations, “Resident Playbook” maintains thematic similarities with the creative team’s past celebrated work. Shin and Lee excel at telling different kinds of coming-of-age stories in various settings, and “Resident Playbook” is no different, featuring younger characters in a medical setting than “Hospital Playlist.” The show also does a great job of seamlessly blending heartbreaking drama with slice-of-life comedy, a tonal mix right in the creative team’s wheelhouse. Buoyed by an appealing young cast, “Resident Playbook” really plays into Shin and Lee’s usual storytelling strengths.
With its genre-blending sensibilities and unique perspective on hospital life in South Korea, “Resident Playbook” is already shaping up to be another major K-drama hit. And whether you’re a fan of Korean shows or well-crafted medical dramas, the series is well-worth streaming on Netflix.
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