Doctor X Ratings Climb to 18.5% as Netflix Run Expands
The SBS medical noir, starring Kim Ji-won, drew an 11.4% premiere rating on October 9 and topped Netflix's Korean TV chart.
SBS drama Doctor X, which premiered on October 9, has seen its nationwide household rating rise every episode, according to cinemacafe.net. Episode 1 recorded 11.4% on Nielsen Korea, with the figure climbing to 14.9% in episode 2, 15.1% in episode 3 and 18.5% in episode 4.
The drama, which stars Kim Ji-won, also took first place in Good Data Corporation's FUNdex TV/OTT topicality ranking for the second week of October, an announcement made on October 12.
On Netflix, Doctor X ranked first on the platform's Korean TOP 10 TV shows and fourth on the global TOP 10 TV shows. It entered the TOP 10 in 67 countries and placed first in 8 countries, including Korea.
Awards talk builds
The combination of rising ratings and streaming rankings has raised talk of a trophy at the year-end SBS Drama Awards.
Doctor X is Kim Ji-won's first project in two years, since Queen of Tears. Its performance follows another strong SBS run this year: Agent Kim: Reactivated, which finished in July 2026 with a highest rating of 23.1% after starting from 9.5% and breaking the 20% mark within four episodes.
Quick answers
When did Doctor X premiere?
Doctor X premiered on SBS on October 9.
What ratings has Doctor X recorded?
Episode 1 recorded 11.4% nationwide on Nielsen Korea, rising to 14.9% in episode 2, 15.1% in episode 3 and 18.5% in episode 4.
Where can viewers watch Doctor X?
The drama is streaming on Netflix, where it ranked first on the Korean TOP 10 TV shows and fourth on the global TOP 10 TV shows.