Doctor Cha, a television series from director Kim Dae-Jin, centers on Cha Jeong-Suk and her resolve to resume her job as a doctor after being forced to give it up when she wed into an affluent family. The narrative promises to criticize the pervasive sexism and misogyny present in South Korea as well as other nations around the globe. Because the performer, Uhm Jung-Hwa, is known for many of her works that covertly critique society, there are a lot of high hopes for this program, which appears to be highly rewarding.
Spoilers upcoming
Meeting Roy Kim: Why Did Cha Jeong-Suk Freeze In The Bus?
The drama’s central character, Cha Jeong-Suk, is a stay-at-home mom concerned with making sure her children and husband have nothing to worry about as they get ready for the day. She had spent the day with her friend Baek Mi-Hee, a plastic surgeon. She had boarded a bus to return from the visit when a medical emergency occurred. Her lack of medical knowledge ultimately caused her to freeze as she confronted the individual who was suffocating. When the patient was being transported to the hospital in an ambulance, Roy Kim was present and managed to save the patient. Here, we learn more about Cha Jeong-Suk, who presumably practiced medicine 20 years ago. We learned more about Jeong-Suk’s predicament when her mother-in-law paid her a visit after she went back to her house. It turns out that after she married Seo In-Ho, she was supposed to give up her job and dedicate herself solely to caring for her spouse, their children, and domestic duties. As she thought back on the chat she had with her mother-in-law, she realized that something was lacking from her life. She therefore attempted to rekindle their relationship when her husband came home, but he turned her down. He did not want her being too near to him, so they had been sleeping in separate rooms.
Why Was Doctor Cha s Husband Stand-Offish?
In-Ho had been having an affair with Jeong-Suk, which is why they were sleeping in different rooms. He wanted to sleep in a different room because he did not want to betray Choi Seung-Hi, his longtime partner, by sleeping with his wife. Because she was carrying Seo Jung-Min, he was forced to wed Jeong-Suk. He nevertheless continued to communicate with Seung-Hi. Later it is revealed that his mother also preferred Seung-Hi, but she wasn’t opposed to being lavished with attention by her daughter-in-law without any conditions. He might be dating Seung-Hi at the hospital where In-Ho works, but they would have to keep it a secret from the other doctors because they were aware of his wife. He preferred her to choose his outfits, and they went on dates together. Additionally, he had planned a trip to Europe with Seungh-Hi, which he said was a professional excursion to Jeong-Suk. Instead of his wife, he treated Jeong-Suk practically like a housekeeper. He could have visited his wife in the emergency room, but he chose to go on with his work trip. He had also declined to give his sick wife his liver, choosing instead to ask her cousin for assistance while hiding behind his mother. When it mattered most, and her relative backed out of the donation, he agreed to assist her even though he ultimately was unable to do so.
Doctor Cha Episode 1: Ending Explained: Why Was Cha Jeong-Suk Hospitalized?
Jeong-Suk wanted her husband to have a trouble-free trip, but when she noticed that his sunglasses were outdated, she had the idea of getting him a new pair. Even after their argument, she stayed up late to finish painting the kitchen slabs and get ready to go shopping for sunglasses for him. While she was at the supermarket, she suddenly felt exhausted and lightheaded. She eventually passed out on the store floor, and when she woke up, she discovered that she was in the hospital’s emergency room. Mi-Hee had earlier commented that Jeong-Suk appeared exhausted and ill at the beginning of Doctor Cha Episode 1. She had gone to see her friend. She also stated that Jeong-Suk’s skin had a yellow tint to it, which is typical of people who have jaundice. Mi-Hee was worried about Jeong-Suk’s health since she noticed that her eyes had also developed a yellow tint. Therefore, when she passed out at the store and was taken to the ER, the physicians confirmed the outcome right away after some tests were done on her. She remained under surveillance for a few days when, on her trip to the convenience shop, she happened to see Roy Kim tending to a patient on the stairs. The patient had declined care because she lacked the means to pay, but Kim was unwilling to give up on her and decided to treat her on the steps.
When she was dispatched with her findings to assess the situation, Jeong-Suk ran into him once more. Kim informed her that she might require a liver transplant because her liver was in danger of failing. He hoped the drug would work its magic while keeping her under observation for a few more days to make sure she did not require a transplant. But when things deteriorated, Jeong-Suk quickly needed a transplant, and her children were unable to assist her. She had a minor daughter named Seo I-Rang and an unsuitable son named Jung-Min. In-Ho was a suitable donor, but he declined since his mother forbade it. In order to get In-Ho to decline the donation, Kwak Ae-Sim, In-Ho’s mother, staged a temper tantrum in Kim’s office and also feigned to be ill.
Oh Deok-Rye, Jeong-Suk’s mother, asked her cousin to help her; however, the cousin’s wife declined the financial favor she had offered in exchange for the donation. On the day of the procedure, In-Ho was hesitant to sign the consent document until his mother arrived and tore it up, much to his relief. This prevented him from giving his consent. Meanwhile, it was discovered that a combination of fraudulent medications sold under the pretense of promoting health had been the cause of the liver failure. After noticing how worn out Jeong-Suk appeared to be every day, Deok-Rye had purchased them for him.
Jeong-Suk, meanwhile, had observed the hospital exchanges and how Ae-Sim insulted her mother after she had gone to ask her to allow In-Ho to save Jeong-Suk’s life. While In-Ho was required to sign the documents, Jeong-Suk had also seen the spectacle that had taken place. Therefore, Doctor Cha Episode 1 concluded with a successful operation, indicating that she might have obtained a liver from somewhere else. As she recovered, however, she found the strength to condemn In-Ho with the rage she had been suppressing for years.
Final Thoughts
The first episode of Doctor Cha sounded extremely compelling. It revealed how, even now, there are some regions in supposedly advanced nations where women are not permitted to work after being married. Even Ae-Sim’s friends in this episode acknowledged Ae-Sim’s age and expressed sympathy for Jeong-Suk. Because of her out-of-date desire to be treated like a princess by her daughter-in-law, she feigned to be clueless of how she made her friends laugh in front of her. They also concurred that a good doctor should not waste her time by staying at home to care for her family when she could be saving lives.
Jeong-Suk had the option to stay at home, but she was never given the chance to do so since every time she brought up the subject in front of Ae-Sim, the latter quickly sidestepped it and advised her to pay attention to maintaining her appearance. Her husband was abusive toward her, frequently raising his voice when she undersalted the soup. Because he wouldn’t cheat on Seung-Hi, he even turned down her advances. She wasn’t allowed to work, in my opinion, in order to prevent her from becoming independent and considering leaving because someone else would take care of everything. They are wealthy, but they wouldn’t pay for housekeeping. Because she is the wife of a wealthy family and their daughters-in-law are not employed, she could easily surpass In-Ho if she put in the effort. It is very satisfying that her in-laws and her spouse will be the targets of Doctor Cha’s upcoming program. The upcoming episode’s trailer demonstrates how Jeong-Suk would regain control of her life and follow her own agenda. She would also resume her education to get ready to return to the practice of medicine. I’m rooting for Jeong-Suk to become independent and self-assured in her abilities.
