Dr. Romantic — Season 3 (2023) 낭만닥터 김사부 시즌3
Directed by Yoo In-shik and Kang Bo-seung, starring Han Suk-kyu as Kim Sa-bu (Teacher Kim) / Boo Yong-joo, Ahn Hyo-seop as Seo Woo-jin, Lee Sung-kyoung as Cha Eun-jae, Lee Kyung-young as Cha Jin-man, Kim Joo-heon as Park Min-gook, Jin Kyung as Oh Myung-sim, Byun Woo-min as Nam Do-il, Im Won-hee as Jang Gi-tae, Kim Min-jae as Park Eun-tak, Shin Dong-wook as Bae Moon-jeong 'Dr. Bones', So Joo-yeon as Yoon Ah-reum, Yoon Na-moo as Jung In-su, and Yoo Yeon-seok as Kang Dong-joo.
Watched 15 - 21 August 2026 — 16 episodes (KISSKH)
Why did I choose this drama? — I loved the previously watched Season 2 and wanted to watch the sequel right away, while still being immersed in the story and engaged with the characters.
What's it about? — We follow the everyday life of the staff at Doldam Hospital, three years after we said goodbye to them in Season 2. A state-of-the-art trauma center is about to be opened — Kim Sa-bu's long-held dream — located next to Doldam Hospital. The trauma center needs a leader, and Cha Eun-jae's father, Cha Jin-man, a former rival of Dr. Kim Sa-bu, is appointed to run it.
Overall thoughts — Season 1 laid the groundwork for the story and characters, almost a sort of trial run. Most series lose quality with the next season but not this show. It just gets better. Having watched Season 2 right before this one, I was so immersed in the story and invested in the characters that this season benefited from my engagement and commitment. And honestly, this season has the most thrilling episodes. There was so much going on. Besides the unusual medical situations, there's a lot of conflict between characters and also a lot of character growth. There are feel-good and heartwarming moments to enjoy as well.
Main character — I loved Dr. Kim even more in this season. In the previous seasons he was more rigid and set in his ways. In this season, he's still adhering to his principles, but he's a less demanding leader and more flexible and open to compromise. He is clearly thinking of a successor and recognises his own declining health and the fact he won't always be there for Doldam Hospital. He needs a strong leader, not only in medical skills but also people's skills, someone who can unite his team and approach them in a human way.
Romance — In Season 2 we see Seo Woo-jin and Cha Eun-jae become a couple. In this season they have moved in together and have to deal with Cha Eun-jae's parents. Cha Eun-jae's mother is overbearing and just horrible. Seo Woo-jin and Cha Eun-jae continue to be supportive of each other and I love their natural interactions. Woo-jin kept being one of my fave characters, though I didn't like how he treated newbie Dr. Jang Dong-hwa initially. Yet he was willing to dish out support and compliments when Dong-hwa deserved them. There's also attention being paid to the romance of Nurse Park Eun-tak and doctor Yoon Ah-reum which didn't run smoothly. It wouldn't have surprised me if the writers would have let them break up but fortunately they get their happy ending and Park Eun-tak is finally able to express his feelings. Poor Yoon Ah-reum! I felt so sorry for her and I could kick Eun-tak. The actress So Joo-yeon can convey feelings of hurt really well. Her face is like an open book.
Antagonist — With Do Yoon-wan (former Director of Geosan University Hospital and former Chairman of Geosan University Foundation) out of the way and Park Min-gook being one of the good guys, the show needed a new antagonist. Cha Eun-jae's father's (Lee Kyung-young as Cha Jin-man) was an interesting choice. Besides the friction his appointment caused among the staff, it also produced problems for Cha Eun-jae who got saddled with an unwanted house guest. But it's clear soon enough that Cha Jin-man is not a one-dimensional bad guy. I was on his side when he stood up for the doctors. Of course Dr. Kim is right in wanting to save as many patients' lives as possible, but this comes sometimes at the cost of his team members, who work relentless hours. Well, Cha Jin-man doesn't continue as the head of the trauma team, and with still more episodes to go, the show needed a new antagonist. And then, lo and behold, Yoo Yeon-seok as Dr. Kang Dong-joo (from Season 1) comes back as the temporary chief of the trauma center. The remarkable thing is that he is portrayed as the bad guy. I don't remember much of his character from Season 1 — I know I didn't like him right away — but he is ambitious, so his actions and ideas to make a change might not be out of character. At first, he and Woo-jin don't get along but you know Dong-joo will come around eventually, and in the end Dong-joo and Woo-jin work together and are friendly with each other. Yet a bromance it will never be.
Supporting characters — Besides the characters already mentioned, most of the other characters from Season 2 return for this season: Manager Jang Gi-tae (why does he shout all the time and ends his sentences with that over-the-top laugh?), Bae Moon-jeong 'Dr. Bones' (one of my other fave characters), Head Nurse Oh Myung-sim (who has some great scenes where she shows her spunk), lovable anesthesiologist/ restaurant owner Nam Do-il, and Jung In-su who fortunately gets his happy ending with his wife and daughter visiting him. Too bad there's no romantic subplot for Head Nurse Oh. I would have shipped her with Dr. Park Min-gook too. Yang Ho-joon (a role by Go Sang-ho) continues to be an idiot, and Park Hyo-ju as Sim Hye-jin, the anesthesiologist, returns briefly at the end of this season. In my notes of Season 2 I hadn't mentioned the emergency nurses (Yoon Bo-ra as Joo Young-mi and Jung Ji-ahn as Um Hyun-jung) who also appear in this season, and I like them.
New doctors — Lee Shin-young as Jang Dong-hwa and Lee Hong-nae as Lee Seon-ung are the new addition to the team. Jang Dong-hwa is pretty obnoxious at first but there's a lot of character development for him, and ultimately he becomes a likeable and valuable asset to the staff. I love the actor Lee Hong-nae (from The Legend of Kitchen Soldier), and his character here is immediately likeable. The scene where the two newbies are practicing with the ultrasound machine, supposedly engaged in a homoerotic moment, is a bit cringey. It's so overly evident that the intention here is to mislead the viewer, used as a comic relief.
Highlighted episodes — Episode 1 starts with a bang, with the medical team of Doldam Hospital flying out in a helicopter to sea, where they attend to the wounded on a ship. I liked ep. 6 with Jung In-su's daughter visiting Doldam Hospital. Ep.7 and 8, with the soldiers having gunshot wounds and the perpetrator holding Woo-jin at gunpoint, were very thrilling. It didn't stop there for Woo-jin. Saved from the gunman, episodes 9 & 10 feature a building collapse, with Woo-jin entering the ruins to save the injured and getting hurt in the process. Luckily Dr. Kim rescues him. At the end of ep. 12 Kang Dong-joo appears at Doldam Hospital. I thought it was just going to be a guest appearance, a decorative role, but it's much more than that. Ep. 12 also had me cry twice: with the old lady dying, suffering from Alzheimer's, and Dr. Kim seeing fireflies; and with the scene where Cha Eun-jae's father is driving his car while being on the phone with his daughter. Cha Jin-man is definitely not the bad guy, and I liked that Dr. Kim wanted him to stay. I did not expect Kang Dong-joo briefly becoming the antagonist, and I like how Park Min-gook spoke to Dr. Kim about his favouritism and full support for Dr. Kang, thereby forsaking his own team. So ... you'd think we had enough drama for this season? Think again! Episodes 15 & 16 bring a forest fire, threatening the existence of the new trauma center. Also, the story with the Assembly woman, responsible for assigning the budget, was interesting.
Final episode — The finale was satisfying and left me wanting more. The series concludes with an open ending, with a woman arriving at the hospital. We don't see her face but the tag on her luggage says Yoon Seo-jung (from Season 1). Too bad there's no Season 4 with all the characters from Season 1 & 3 coming together. I don't think it's in the cards but an open ending gives hope.
Quote — "Don't give up on the question of why we live and what we live for. The moment we give up on that question, our romance is over. Got it?" — Dr. Kim
Recommended? — YES! Definitely! My sister asked whether you could watch Season 3 without having seen 1 and 2. I would certainly watch Season 2 as well, since it's where the story of Seo Woo-jin and Cha Eun-jae begins. And if you have time to invest, watch Season 1 too. Having spent two seasons in a row with the characters, 32 episodes in total, I will miss them dearly!