Actress Go Youn-jung portrays Oh I-yeong, a first-year OB-GYN resident, in cable network tvN’s TV series “Resident Playbook.” Courtesy of tvN

At the obstetrics ward (OB), mothers and babies stand at the threshold between life and death. In the gynecology ward (GYN), patients arrive carrying the scars and stories of their lives. Cable network tvN’s TV series “Resident Playbook," which aired its final episode on May 18, is a medical drama that traces the growth of four first-year OB-GYN residents navigating a field where birth and death intertwine.

Originally scheduled to air last year, “Resident Playbook” was delayed due to disputes between political and medical circles over medical school admissions quotas. When the TV series finally premiered this April, at a time when many trainee doctors had yet to return to hospitals following the strike, it barely got off the ground with 3 percent range viewership amidst people’s cold stares. As a spin-off of “Hospital Playlist” series, which had previously faced criticism for idealizing doctors, the new series drew even more scrutiny from viewers.

What eventually softened those cynical perspectives was the refreshingly unpolished portrayal of first-year residents who were far from “wise.” Some lacked even basic social skills; others were all passion and little direction. Among them was Oh I-yeong, played by 29-year-old actress Go Youn-jung. Born the youngest child in a wealthy family and a perennial top student in school, I-yeong is described as someone who, perhaps because she has always had things come too easily, lacks urgency, patience, and perseverance. If it were not for her credit card debt from excessive spending, she likely would have stopped being a doctor long ago.

Go added a subtle coolness to I-yeong’s aloof attitude, turning what could have been an off-putting character into one viewers wanted to understand. The TV series follows I-yeong as she grows from a first-year resident who constantly talks about quitting her job into a second-year committed to staying in the OB-GYN department. Thanks to strong performances from both leads and supporting cast, as well as a compelling romance arc, the series closed with its highest national viewership rating of 8.1 percent in its 12th and final episode.

In an interview on May 13 at a café in Gangnam, Seoul, Go said, “’Resident Playbook’ felt like a work that was both family-like and realistic. I still feel like I-yeong and the other imperfect residents are out there, working at Yulje Medical Center in Jongno.”

Having previously starred in fantasy-driven TV series like tvN’s “Alchemy of Souls” in 2022 and Disney+’s “Moving” in 2023, Go found the “grounded, everyday nature” of I-yeong to be refreshing. “She’s a character who feels like she could exist in real life,” Go explained. In the early episodes, where she lacked motivation for her work, “I approached it with the idea that she’s someone who just needs the right trigger,” Go said.

I-yeong does not hesitate to confess her feelings to fourth-year chief resident Goo Do-won (played by Jung Jun-won), and in medical emergencies, she steps up calmly and responsibly. “She’s the type who, once she locks onto something, goes all in,” Go said. “I’m like that too. When I fixate on something, I don’t look back. In that sense, I relate to I-yeong.”

Go majored in contemporary art at university, and her acting career began after she appeared on the cover of magazine “College Tomorrow.” As she took on more roles, she realized that what she truly enjoyed was the “teamwork of making things together.” She pointed to “Moving” as a standout project where she felt the joy of working as a team. “With art, the final product is based solely on my own effort and talent. But with acting, the synergy between actors, directors, and staff creates something much greater. That process is really fascinating.”

On the set of “Resident Playbook,” Go found many dependable colleagues across generations, from fellow first-year residents Pyo Nam-kyung (played by Shin Si-ah), Eom Jae-il (played by Kang You-seok), and Kim Sa-bi (played by Han Ye-ji), to senior doctors portrayed by actors Lee Bong-ryeon and Kim Hye-in. During the year-long delay before airing, Go said, “The bond between the residents grew really deep.”

Now steadily building her filmography, Go has established herself as a leading youth star through “Resident Playbook.” Reflecting on her acting journey so far, she said, “I feel like I’m in the November of my first year as a resident. I’m capable of holding my own now without running helter-skelter, but I still have so much to learn.”

What, then, does Go think makes a “wise actress”? “Well, since I became an actress to act, I should be good at acting, obviously,” she said after a short pause. “But more than that, I want to be someone who can look out for others on set. And if people say, ‘It’s fun working with her,’ I think that’s enough to call myself wise.”