‘Doctor on the Edge’ soars to new ratings high at 5.2%, dominates Monday-Tuesday drama rankings for 2 consecutive weeks

ENA’s Monday-Tuesday drama ‘Doctor on the Edge’ has officially solidified its place at the top of the ratings race, continuing its explosive upward momentum.

According to Nielsen Korea on June 10, episode 4 of ENA’s ‘Doctor on the Edge’, which aired the previous day (June 9), recorded its highest viewership ratings yet with a nationwide average of 5.2% and a peak minute-by-minute rating of 6.3%, maintaining its position as the No. 1 program across all channels in its time slot for the second consecutive week (based on paid households nationwide). The drama originally premiered with a 4.0% rating and has steadily climbed with each episode, surpassing the 5% mark in just four episodes and proving its growing popularity among viewers.

Premiering on June 1, ‘Doctor on the Edge’ is a medical human romance drama centered on elite public health doctor Do Ji Eui and mysterious nurse Yook Ha Ri, who find themselves stationed on the infamous island of Pyeondongdo — a place avoided by everyone. From its very first broadcast, the drama overtook rival series ‘Honour’ and set a new record for the highest premiere ratings among ENA Monday-Tuesday dramas. By episode 2, it was already showing a significantly faster ratings growth trajectory compared to its predecessor, 'The Scarecrow,' continuing its impressive box office-like momentum.

Stellar Performances and Compelling Characters Fuel the Drama’s Rise

At the center of ‘Doctor on the Edge’’s success are the powerful performances delivered by stars like Lee Jae Wook and Shin Ye Eun, along with the drama’s richly layered characters.

Lee Jae Wook plays Do Ji Eui, a talented plastic surgeon who followed an elite path in the city before developing a severe trauma related to the ocean due to an incident from his past. Assigned to Pyeondongdo as a public health doctor, he becomes isolated on the unfamiliar island surrounded by sea on all sides. Determined to keep emotional distance from the world, he soon finds himself shaken by the very things he most wanted to avoid — “incidents,” “people,” and “love.” Viewers are now eagerly rooting for whether he can overcome his deep fears and become a true doctor.

Shin Ye Eun portrays nurse Yook Ha Ri, a woman carrying painful secrets hidden deep within her heart. Though she appears bright and warm while caring for patients, she secretly harbors emotional scars of her own. After voluntarily leaving a major university hospital on the mainland to work at the underdeveloped health clinic on Pyeondongdo, questions continue to grow over her true motivations. As she begins wanting to heal Do Ji Eui, whom she recognizes as someone with wounds similar to hers, unexpected crises start threatening his life and intensifying the drama’s emotional tension.

Actors Hong Min Gi and Lee Soo Kyung also add depth to the story.

Hong Min Gi plays Hyun Chi Yeon, a highly elite public health doctor born into a prestigious family of doctors. Despite possessing perfect looks and intelligence, he struggles with the one thing he cannot control — Nurse Yook Ha Ri. His rivalry with Do Ji Eui gradually evolves into an unexpected sense of camaraderie, making him one of the drama’s most multidimensional characters.

Lee Soo Kyung stars as Uhm Jung Sun, a native island nurse who dreams of glamorous city life through social media but lacks the courage to leave her hometown. Though prickly and blunt on the outside, she possesses a warm heart underneath, representing the realistic struggles of today’s youth caught between appearing “cool” and being sincere.

Episode 4 Deepens Emotional Tension With Misunderstandings and Jealousy

Episode 4 carefully explored the growing emotional entanglements between the characters.

Do Ji Eui could no longer hide his feelings for Yook Ha Ri. He smiled to himself while recalling the previous night they spent together, and felt genuine pain after learning more about her emotional scars. Meanwhile, Oh Mi Ja (played by Gil Hae Yeon), who suffers from dementia, secretly asked Do Ji Eui for help because she wanted to remain a warm grandmother in Ha Ri’s memory rather than becoming a burden. After discovering the truth, Ha Ri fell into deep guilt, believing she had failed to become someone her grandmother could truly lean on.

When Ha Ri tearfully confessed that she kept trying to forget her grandmother’s illness because she was terrified of facing it, Do Ji Eui comforted her softly, saying, “That’s not cowardice. Everyone feels that way.” His warm words brought the two emotionally closer as they began sharing each other’s pain and healing.

However, rumors soon complicated their growing relationship. Anonymous gossip spreading from the mainland quickly circulated throughout Pyeondongdo, claiming that Yook Ha Ri and Hyun Chi Yeon were romantically involved. The rumors deeply shook Do Ji Eui’s feelings.

When Ha Ri confronted him about his suddenly cold attitude, Do Ji Eui — consumed by jealousy and disappointment — gave a harsh response, claiming he simply wanted to avoid misunderstandings. Hurt by the fact that even he believed the rumors, Ha Ri coldly drew a line between them, telling him, “Were you avoiding me because you were scared? Afraid I’d bite you? Don’t worry. I have no intention of doing that,” leaving viewers heartbroken.

Meanwhile, another unexpected romance began brewing at the health clinic. Yong Joo Chun (played by Kim Yoon Woo) and Uhm Jung Sun, known as the clinic’s constant bickering enemies, accidentally spent a night together, creating another intriguing romantic tension point in the series.

The clinic was then thrown into chaos once again after news spread that Health Medical Center Director Choi Hyang Mi (played by Jung Ae Yeon) would personally visit the island to issue disciplinary action. Misunderstandings spread that the inspection was related to rumors and personal scandals inside the clinic, leaving Ha Ri devastated. Although it was later revealed that Director Choi was actually on their side, the emotional wounds already inflicted on Ha Ri did not heal easily.

Shock Ending Leaves Viewers Stunned

The episode’s final developments delivered even more emotional devastation.

A patient suffering from acute epiglottitis, Go Deok Hwa (played by Lee Chae Yoo), arrived at the clinic just as the island was hit with severe storm warnings, leaving Pyeondongdo completely isolated.

In the desperate race to save the patient’s life, the only person capable of performing surgery aboard the emergency boat was specialist doctor Do Ji Eui. However, his severe ocean trauma pushed him into a panic at the mere thought of boarding the vessel. Once again, Yook Ha Ri reached out to him with warmth and support, helping him gather the courage to step onto the boat.

As fear and pressure threatened to overwhelm him, it was Ha Ri’s unwavering gaze and sincere desperation to save the patient that slowly drove away his terror. Determined to fulfill his duty as a doctor, Do Ji Eui successfully completed the emergency treatment and stabilized the patient.

But just as viewers breathed a sigh of relief, the episode ended with a shocking twist. Exhausted after the operation, Do Ji Eui leaned over the boat railing while struggling to catch his breath — only to suddenly lose his balance and fall into the dark ocean below.

The dramatic ending, intercut with violent waves swallowing him whole and Yook Ha Ri screaming his name in horror, left viewers stunned and massively heightened anticipation for the next episode.

Meanwhile, ENA’s ‘Doctor on the Edge’, which continues breaking its own ratings records and reshaping the Monday-Tuesday drama landscape, is based on the hit KakaoPage webtoon ‘Jonbeo Doctor’. The drama airs every Monday and Tuesday at 10 PM KST on ENA and is also available through KT Genie TV and the global OTT platform Disney+.