Choo Young-woo and Kim So-hyun cast in ‘Romance Doctor’; Ahn Pan-seok directorial to explore emotional resilience |
Actors Choo Young-woo and Kim So-hyun have confirmed their starring roles in ‘Romance Doctor’, a new drama set in a robotics laboratory where broken dreams meet cutting-edge technology. Streaming platform TV announced the 2026 Monday-Tuesday series with acclaimed director Ahn Pan-seok of ‘Something in the Rain’, ‘Secret Love Affair’, and ‘The White Tower’ helming the project, as reported by Yonhap News.
When swimming dreams crash into robotics reality
Choo Young-woo portrays Park Min-jae, a doctoral student who lost his right leg to illness after a promising high school swimming career and rebuilt his life through robotic engineering. The emotionally reserved but diligent researcher encounters Im Yu-jin, played by Kim So-hyun, a master’s student who switched from fashion studies to robotics after becoming labeled a “troublemaker” for exposing departmental misconduct. Writer Min Hyo-jung’s screenplay explores how these two wounded individuals navigate unfamiliar academic territory while developing feelings neither planned for.
Hot streak meets fresh challenge
Choo Young-woo expressed excitement about working with director Ahn, stating he’s approaching the role with “a more scholarly mindset” following his consecutive hits ‘The Tale of Lady Ok’, ‘Trauma Center’, and ‘Gyeonu and Seonye’. The actor, born just one day before Kim So-hyun in 1999, marks his first collaboration with both the cable network and the legendary director known for redefining Korean romance dramas. Kim So-hyun, who recently starred in ‘Good Boy’ and ‘Useless Lies’, called the opportunity to work with Ahn “an honor itself” while praising Yu-jin’s bold personality as a character magnet.
The Ahn Pan-seok difference reshapes expectations
Director Ahn Pan-seok’s involvement guarantees ‘Romance Doctor’ will deliver the nuanced emotional depth and mature storytelling that made his previous works cultural touchstones in South Korean television. The drama promises to capture graduate student life’s diverse realities through a warm lens, showing how Yu-jin’s fearless determination draws out transformation in the cautious Min-jae, the series will stream exclusively on TV’s premium service while broadcasting throughout the first half of 2026.
