“Wise Resident Life” Confirmed for April Release “Only Go Yoon-jung Took the Hit”
On the morning of February 10th, “CJ ENM Content Talk 2025” was held at CJ ENM in Sangam-dong, Seoul. Attendees included CJ ENM CEO Yoon Sang-hyun, Media Business Division Channel Business Head Park Sang-hyuk and TVING Content Chief Officer Min Sun-hong, along with CPs Kim Ryun-hee, Kim Ho-joon, Lee Won-hyung, PDs Jung Chul-min and Kim In-ha.
CJ ENM announced plans to release about 65 drama and variety programs in 2025, committing to a record-breaking investment of over 150 billion KRW compared to last year to lead the content ecosystem.
During the event, Park Sang-hyuk highlighted “Wise Resident Life” as one of the 2025 releases. He stated, “With Go Yoon-jung at the center, the drama will showcase the fresh and youthful growth of medical residents. It is a drama with a lot to say and content that has never been seen before, so I understand the curiosity surrounding it.”
Previously, “Wise Resident Life” was slated as a weekend drama for the first half of 2024, but its broadcast was delayed due to a medical community strike. Addressing the delay, Park explained, “As content programmers, we believe it’s crucial to choose a timing that allows for widespread audience appreciation. We carefully considered when viewers would enjoy ‘Wise Resident Life’ the most and ultimately decided on April. While good content is always loved, we believe it will receive even greater affection in April.“
However, due to the resident doctor strike and growing public criticism of the medical field, reactions to the drama remain cold.
It drew criticism such as “Isn’t this just a drama glorifying doctors?” and “Will the resident doctor strike be featured in the drama too?” As the strike dragged on, the negative public sentiment toward the series intensified.
Postponed broadcasts aren’t unusual in the industry. Even though “Wise Resident Life” has finally secured a broadcast date after a one-year delay, public reaction remains lukewarm. On online communities and social media, users continue to express skepticism, saying things like, “It’s a hospital drama, but isn’t it way too disconnected from reality?”
The biggest blow amid the strike and broadcast delays fell on lead actress Go Yoon-jung. The floating status of the drama negatively impacted her career momentum as an actor. And even though a release date has now been confirmed, the weight of negative public opinion remains a burden.
Go Yoon-jung had been building her profile as a lead actress through standout roles in “Moving”, “Alchemy of Souls” and “Sweet Home”. But the delay of “Wise Resident Life” has created a notable gap in her filmography. Other cast members, too, had completed filming long ago, only for their scheduled projects to be thrown off course due to the delayed airing.
An industry insider shared, “It’s unfortunate when a project that the production team poured so much into receives criticism even before airing. The key will be how immersive and realistic ‘Wise Resident Life’ turns out to be.”
Now, all that remains is the viewer response post-broadcast. Will “Wise Resident Life” overcome the controversy and pull off a successful turnaround? Or will it ultimately fade out under the weight of cold reception? All eyes are on the outcome.
“Wise Resident Life” stars Go Yoon-jung, who gained popularity through Disney+’s original series “Moving”. The show is a spin-off of “Hospital Playlist” that depicts doctors and medical staff dedicating themselves to patient care and hospital life.
Source: Wikitree
