Kim Mu-yeol Can't Stay Away From Netflix Hits—He's Already Onto the Next One

Kim Mu-yeol is heading straight from one Netflix hit into another. The South Korean actor has been cast in the upcoming Netflix series First Doctor, extending a streak that has put him at the center of the platform's global conversation.

Kim is currently drawing international attention for his role as Na Hwa-jin, a teachers' rights protection officer, in the Netflix series Teach You a Lesson. After its release, the show reached No. 1 on Netflix's global Top 10 non-English TV chart and topped local rankings in 46 countries, including South Korea, Japan, and Singapore. His performance has been credited as a key driver of that momentum.

"First Doctor" follows Heo Ji-wan, a doctor pushed to the edge, and a pediatric surgery department fighting for its survival. The drama is set on the front line of medicine, where staff treat the most fragile young patients. Jung Ryeo-won plays Heo Ji-wan.

Kim will play Bae Su-wol, a professor in the anesthesiology and pain medicine department at Yeonhwadae Hospital. Bae is a longtime colleague of Heo Ji-wan, written as warm, easygoing, and quick with a joke. The role gives Kim room to add lighter beats to the hospital's heavier storylines.

He joins a lineup that also includes Ha Yoon-kyung, Baek Hyun-jin, and Kim Jong-su. After turning Na Hwa-jin into a breakout character on "Hot Blooded Teacher," Kim now faces the question of what he will do with Bae Su-wol. The cast pairing suggests the show is leaning on him for both dramatic weight and tonal balance.