The year 2025 continues to deliver compelling Korean TV series, and Hunter With a Scalpel stands out as a sharp, slow-burning thriller. This new K-drama follows a mysterious surgeon who operates outside legal and ethical norms. With its first episode aired on May 10, 2025, the show has slowly pulled viewers into its dark, psychological world. The Korean TV show features veteran actors like Joo Sang Wook, Jeon Mi Do, and So Yi Hyun in central roles. As the title suggests, Hunter With a Scalpel is not a medical drama in the traditional sense. It blends crime, mystery, and moral ambiguity, all while unfolding over 16 tightly written episodes.
This article explores everything you need to know about this K-drama: from its weekly episode schedule and plot overview to cast breakdown, filming locations, and where you can stream it.
Plot Overview:
Hunter With a Scalpel revolves around Han Yoo Jin, a skilled yet enigmatic thoracic surgeon whose actions in and out of the operating room blur the line between healing and harm. After a traumatic event shakes his moral core, Yoo Jin begins secretly investigating a string of unresolved deaths, believing they’re connected to a larger conspiracy involving hospital authorities and elite institutions.
As he crosses paths with prosecutor Eun So Ra and detective Seo Ji Yoon, the narrative dives into layered confrontations—between justice and vengeance, science and ethics, life and death. While Yoo Jin saves lives by day, his nights are consumed by a personal mission that might destroy everything he’s built.
Cast & Characters of ‘Hunter With a Scalpel’:
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Joo Sang Wook as Han Yoo Jin: A brilliant thoracic surgeon whose trauma fuels his descent into morally gray actions.
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Jeon Mi Do as Eun So Ra: A principled prosecutor chasing justice, unaware her most trusted ally may be hiding dangerous secrets.
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So Yi Hyun as Seo Ji Yoon: A determined detective who starts connecting the dots between medical malpractice and a series of unsolved crimes.
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Yoon Jong Hoon as Choi Kang Hyun: A neurosurgeon and Yoo Jin’s old friend—possibly his only ally, or his most dangerous opponent.
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Park Won Sang as Chief Hwang: The head of the hospital and a key figure in the institutional cover-up.
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Park Hyo Joo as Yoon Hye In: A medical researcher whose past ties to Yoo Jin become central to the unfolding mystery.
All Episode Release Schedule of ‘Hunter With a Scalpel’:
The K-drama airs twice a week, every Friday and Saturday, on MBN, with a total of 16 episodes. Here’s the complete schedule:
Episode | Release Date | Day |
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Episode 1 | May 10, 2025 | Friday |
Episode 2 | May 11, 2025 | Saturday |
Episode 3 | May 17, 2025 | Friday |
Episode 4 | May 18, 2025 | Saturday |
Episode 5 | May 24, 2025 | Friday |
Episode 6 | May 25, 2025 | Saturday |
Episode 7 | May 31, 2025 | Friday |
Episode 8 | June 1, 2025 | Saturday |
Episode 9 | June 7, 2025 | Friday |
Episode 10 | June 8, 2025 | Saturday |
Episode 11 | June 14, 2025 | Friday |
Episode 12 | June 15, 2025 | Saturday |
Episode 13 | June 21, 2025 | Friday |
Episode 14 | June 22, 2025 | Saturday |
Episode 15 | June 28, 2025 | Friday |
Episode 16 | June 29, 2025 | Saturday |
Each episode runs approximately 70 minutes.
When and Where to Stream?
Hunter With a Scalpel airs first on MBN in South Korea. International viewers can stream it via Viki, where new episodes are available with subtitles shortly after the Korean broadcast. Some regions may also have access through TVING and local OTT platforms depending on licensing deals.
Filming Locations:
The drama is filmed across multiple locations in South Korea. Major hospital sequences were shot in medical facilities across Seoul and Gyeonggi Province, while the investigative and flashback sequences stretch into quieter suburban districts, including Paju and Cheongju. The production blends clinical indoor sets with colder, open outdoor visuals to emphasize the duality of the protagonist’s life—controlled on the surface, unraveling underneath.