Here’s a collection of inspiring and thought-provoking lines from Master Kim in the Korean drama, Dr. Romantic 3 (2023), a medical drama that follows a triple-board certified surgeon who leaves a top medical center in Seoul and ends up at a small hospital in the countryside, mentoring young doctors, played by Han Suk-kyu:
“Even on the battlefield, it’s human nature to treat the injured, no matter what side they are from.”
“The political situation is for the politicians to deal with.”
“Sometimes, being overqualified isn’t everything.”
“Are you asking me, a doctor, to decide what is more important? A human’s life or 40 trillion won?”
“It’s our job and ethos to save people. No matter how the world moves, let’s keep it ‘world and peace’ for us.”
“Oftentimes, between ethics and reality, what is right and what the solution is, is hard to balance. It’s just better for us to do our best as doctors.”
“Just because something is simple doesn’t mean anyone can do it. A simple solution doesn’t make it easy.”
“We can’t end things before we open the door.”
“If you pick up a sword, the least you can do is unsheathe it.”
“Effort and dedication should be left behind the moment you’ve given them. Hoping for some kind of payment or demanding recognition of your input, things will turn into a muddy mess in a flash.”
“There are only two types of doctors in the operating room. One who wants to save the patient and one who wants to learn.”
“I have seen many instances that surpass the boundaries of medicine. It’s what people call ‘miracles’. However, I call it the will of the person.”
“Don’t give up. In the end, a person’s will is what makes a miracle.”
“There are only two outcomes. You either put the elephant in or the refrigerator breaks.”
“In life, you will run into more people you don’t get along with than the ones you do.”
“That’s what unfounded complaints and excuses are like. They make you narrow-minded and petty.”
“We may think differently. But I’ve never doubted your skills.”
“They say saving one person is like saving a universe.”
“Not everyone in this world will understand our true intentions. They’re not that interested in us. So there’s no need to explain how hard we lived or how hard we tried.”
“Just because we live silently doesn’t mean we disappear.”
“What matters the most never disappears.”
“In any organization, many ideas and opinions must be able to coexist to become a healthy organization.”
“We’ve always faced hardships and crises. It has always been hard. Still, we never once tried to dodge those hardships like cowards. We always tried to find a way to break through it, and that’s how we got here.”
“A leader is someone who must fight the big waves upfront. That’s how other people don’t feel anxious or get swayed.”
“We’re not at the top to work the others to the bone and boss them around. We’re here to make a better world with our experience and insight.”
“Do you know how to really get revenge? By becoming a better human than them. You prove to those who ignored you and discriminated against you that their prejudice and concerns were misplaced and nothing but nonsense with your skills.”
“You may be able to hide your actions but your conscience will haunt you forever.”
“You have nothing to be afraid of. In an all-out-war, you go all-out. An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.”
Writers: Kang Eun-kyung (S1-3), Lim Hye-min (S3) | Directors: Yoo In-shik (S1-3), Park Soo-jin (S1), Lee Gil-bok (S2), Kang Bo-seung (S3) | Network: SBS | Available on: Netflix (S1-2), Disney+ (S3)
Images: SBS
KORB 