Doctor X Korean Drama: Kim Ji-won Premiere Oct. 9 on Netflix

Kim Ji-won is back on screen Friday in "Doctor X," SBS's remake of the Japanese medical drama, with episodes streaming on Netflix the same day.

The 12-episode series premieres Friday, Oct. 9, at 9:50 p.m. KST and airs Fridays and Saturdays, with each episode running about 70 minutes. Netflix lists it under the title "Doctor X: Mafia in White." It is Kim's first drama since "Queen of Tears," which made her one of the most recognized faces in Korean television abroad.

Kim plays Gye Su-jeong, a surgeon. The story is set at Guseo University Hospital. Lee Jung-eun plays Jang Hee-sook, Son Hyun-joo plays Bu Seung-kwon, and Kim Woo-seok plays Park Tae-kyung.

The drama adapts "Doctor-X: Surgeon Daimon Michiko," the 2012 Japanese series, which centered on a surgeon. SBS describes the new version as its first medical noir. The director is Lee Jung-rim and the writer is Pyeon Seung-geun.

The teaser leans on two lines from Kim's character: "I will not fail or compromise," and "As long as they are still alive, I will save them." The Japanese original is already on Netflix in Japan, where it was added Sept. 1, according to What's on Netflix. Viewers who want to compare the two versions may have to wait for it to reach other regions.

The same-day Netflix release matters for the audience outside Korea. International viewers can watch on the day the episodes air in Korea rather than waiting for a later release.

The adaptation also faces a built-in comparison. Any remake of a Japanese series has to decide how much of the original to keep. SBS has not detailed which elements carry over.

Kim's casting is the main draw for English-language audiences, many of whom know her from "Queen of Tears." Moving from a romance there to a surgeon's role here is a clear change of register.

With two episodes a week and 12 in total, the run would end Nov. 14 if SBS airs it without breaks, though the network has not published a finale date in the reports reviewed. The format puts the series in the Friday and Saturday night slot, so viewers get a new hour-plus episode on consecutive nights each week.

The first episode arrives Friday night. The opening hour will show whether the noir label holds up on screen or is only a promotional tag.