# Surgeon Bong Dal-hee

Surgeon Bong Dal-hee (Korean: 외과의사 봉달희; RR: Oegwa Uisa Bong Dal-hui) is a 2007 South Korean medical drama television series starring Lee Yo-won (in the title role), Lee Beom-soo, Kim Min-jun and Oh Yoon-ah. It aired on SBS from January 17 to March 15, 2007 on Wednesdays and Thursdays at 21:55 for 18 episodes.

## Plot

Bong Dal-hee (Lee Yo-won) approaches her life and work with a simple-minded gungho sincerity. She's had frail health since she was a little girl, and after she undergoes heart surgery, Dal-hee decides to pursue her dream of becoming a doctor. She graduates from a little-known medical school in her hometown, the remote island of Ulleungdo, and against all odds, gets accepted into the prestigious Hankook University Hospital residency program in Seoul. Dal-hee is determined to become a cardiothoracic surgeon, all the more so because of her own heart condition. Her old-fashioned name, provincial upbringing and lack of competitiveness mark her as different among the first year residents. She immediately gets on the bad side of Ahn Joong-geun (Lee Beom-soo), a brilliant but extremely strict cardiothoracic surgeon who often gets angry at the mistake-prone Dal-hee. Adding to the negative impression is Dal-hee's friendship with recently divorced general surgeon Lee Geon-wook (Kim Min-jun), who was Joong-geun's rival since their intern years. Geon-wook is attracted to Dal-hee, but he still has lingering feelings for his ex-wife, pediatrician Jo Moon-kyung (Oh Yoon-ah). Geon-wook and Moon-kyung split up after he learned that their six-year-old son was fathered by another man before they married, leaving him feeling betrayed and angry. Meanwhile, as they continue to work together, Joong-geun and Dal-hee grow closer. Called a "troublemaker" by her colleagues but loved by her patients for her compassionate personality, Dal-hee must learn to deal with professional setbacks, tensions on the job, hospital politics, patient deaths, romantic confusion and recurring ill health, on her way to becoming a full-fledged surgeon.

## Cast

* Lee Yo-won as Bong Dal-hee, 1st year cardiothoracic surgery resident
* Lee Beom-soo as Ahn Joong-geun, cardiothoracic surgeon
* Kim Min-jun as Lee Geon-wook, general surgeon
* Oh Yoon-ah as Jo Moon-kyung, pediatrician
* Kim In-kwon as Park Jae-beom, 1st year general surgery resident
* Choi Yeo-jin as Jo A-ra, 1st year general surgery resident
* Song Jong-ho as Lee Min-woo, cardiothoracic surgery resident
* Kim Hae-sook as Yang Eun-ja, Dal-hee's mother
* Kim Jung-min as Bong Mi-hee, Dal-hee's younger sister
* Baek Seung-hyeon as Kim Hyun-bin, cardiothoracic surgery chief resident
* Jung Wook as Jang Ji-hyuk, general surgery chief resident
* Park Geun-hyung as Lee Hyun-taek, chief of general surgery
* Lee Ki-yeol as Seo Jung-hwan, chief of cardiothoracic surgery
* Kim Seung-wook as Professor Park
* Kim Myung-jin as Professor Jung
* Sung Woo-jin as Instructor Oh
* Jo Myung-woon as surgical intern
* Lee Bom as Ah-jeong
* Im Sung-min as Nurse Go
* Jo Ah-ra as Nurse Lee
* Jeon Hye-sang as ER head nurse
* Jo Yeon-hee as Seon-ju
* Lee Hyun as Instructor Baek
* Lee Jong-min as Instructor Seo
* Jung Sung-woon as chief of emergency medicine
* Oh Man-seok as Oh Jung-min, Moon-kyung's ex-boyfriend (guest appearance, ep 13-14)

## Reception

Surgeon Bong Dal-hee was a hit; it recorded average ratings of 22.4% and a peak of 29.3%, and was number one in its timeslot for most of its run (beating the competition Dal-ja's Spring on KBS2 and Prince Hours on MBC). The series also received several acting, directing and popularity awards.

## Awards and nominations

| Year | Award | Category | Recipient | Result |
| 2007 | 43rd Baeksang Arts Awards | Best Actor (TV) | Lee Beom-soo | Nominated |
| 2007 | 43rd Baeksang Arts Awards | Best New Director (TV) | Kim Hyung-shik | Won |
| 2007 | 43rd Baeksang Arts Awards | Most Popular Actor (TV) | Lee Beom-soo | Won |
| 2007 | SBS Drama Awards | Top Excellence Award, Actor | Lee Beom-soo | Nominated |
| 2007 | SBS Drama Awards | Top Excellence Award, Actress | Lee Yo-won | Won |
| 2007 | SBS Drama Awards | Best Supporting Actor in a Miniseries | Kim In-kwon | Nominated |
| 2007 | SBS Drama Awards | Best Supporting Actress in a Miniseries | Choi Yeo-jin | Nominated |
| 2007 | SBS Drama Awards | Best Young Actor | Joo Min-soo | Won |
| 2007 | SBS Drama Awards | PD Award | Lee Beom-soo | Won |
| 2007 | SBS Drama Awards | Netizen Popularity Award | Lee Yo-won | Won |
| 2007 | SBS Drama Awards | Best Couple Award | Lee Yo-won and Lee Beom-soo | Won |
| 2007 | SBS Drama Awards | Top 10 Stars | Lee Beom-soo | Won |
| 2007 | SBS Drama Awards | Top 10 Stars | Lee Yo-won | Won |
| 2007 | SBS Drama Awards | New Star Award | Song Jong-ho | Won |
| 2007 | SBS Drama Awards | New Star Award | Choi Yeo-jin | Won |

## International broadcast

* It aired in Vietnam on HTV3 from February 9, 2009.