Doctor X: Mafia in White Ending Explained: Directed by Lee Jung-rim, the Korean remake of the Japanese drama, 닥터X: 하얀 마피아의 시대, stars Kim Ji-won as Gye Su-jeong, also known as Doctor X, alongside Lee Jung-eun as Jang Hee-sook, Son Hyun-joo as Bu Seung-kwon, Kim Woo-seok as Park Tae-kyeong, Lee Jin-hee as Jo Won-jin, Kim Young-min as Do Yoon-sik, and others.
Doctor X: Mafia in White Ending Explained
Why Did Tae-kyeong Try to Kill Seung-hyo?
Tae-kyeong attempted to murder Seung-hyo because Seung-hyo had sexually assaulted him when he was a child. The man, who happened to be a good friend of Tae-kyeong’s parents, resided with his parents for one year. During that year, he had raped the boy multiple times and had forced him to keep it a secret. For years, Tae-kyeong held the pain alone. Seeing Seung-hyo back at GUMC for a heart transplant, Tae-kyeong couldn’t stand seeing the man who had made his childhood a living hell being respected and given a second chance at life.
Seung-hyo, also known as Baba, was the founder of White Wings Medical Corps. At one point in time, he had been respected as a doctor and a humanitarian, a person who had devoted his entire life to taking care of poor and orphaned children in areas such as Lagota. Unfortunately, beyond this respectable appearance, he turned out to be an abuser of children such as Na-gyeong, Baraka and Neema, among others. He had managed to convince everyone around him that he was a good man while his victims had been suffering in silence. This revelation comes at a time when Su-jeong used to admire him and practice his surgical procedures without knowing the monster he actually was.
Did Su-jeong Successfully Perform Seung-hyo’s Heart Transplant?
Indeed, in Doctor X: Mafia in White Episode 12, we see that Su-jeong manages to perform Seung-hyo’s heart transplant surgery on him, but it turns into a serious test of morals for Su-jeong. Having knowledge about what Seung-hyo did to the kids, including Tae-kyeong and Neema, Su-jeong is determined to torture him during the process. Su-jeong orders Won-jin to give him the drug which counteracts the effect of anaesthesia to wake him up when the surgery is performed. But before they could go ahead with the plan, Hee-sook comes along with Neema, making Su-jeong realise her moral obligation as a doctor.
The presence of White Wings Medical Corps members causes a further dilemma in their efforts to get Neema away. Su-jeong warns them that she will cancel the transplant if they interfere, whereas Tae-kyeong moves the little girl to a room upstairs from the operating theatre with the help of Director Bu in keeping the volunteers at bay.
It is from here that Neema communicates with Su-jeong by drawing pictures and tells her that Baba may be a monster, but she is not. At the end of Doctor X: Mafia in White, Su-jeong listens to Hee-sook and decides to go ahead with the operation without killing Seung-hyo intentionally. Even Tae-kyeong assists Neema in painting a picture on the glass ceiling of the operating theatre.
What Happened to Seung-hyo After the Surgery?
Seung-hyo survives the heart transplant; his healing is not without any struggles. As a result of the surgery, he gets painful hypnic jerks and feels restless in the process. In the presence of Su-jeong, Won-jin, and Tae-kyeong, who came to visit him, he asks about Neema and thereby reveals that he somehow knew what happened during the surgery. The three become worried that he felt everything during the surgery. But then, when the White Wings Medical Corps files a lawsuit against the doctors, claiming the torture of the patient on purpose, the investigation does not discover any proof of the use of the anaesthesia antidote. Director Bu stresses that no vials were stolen during the surgery.
Even though Seung-hyo lives, his good reputation eventually turns out to be a facade. The news about his child abuse in Lagota comes to light, revealing the real person behind his humanitarian mask. In the Doctor X: Mafia in White ending, he continues to experience the consequences of the surgery in pain, and Won-jin comes to visit him and sit beside him. Instead of sympathising with him, she calmly eats her food while he keeps struggling. His survival has not helped him regain his former respect, and the exposure ensures that his victims’ experiences can no longer remain secret.
What Happened to Guseo University Seonam Medical Center?
The future of Guseo University Seonam Medical Center grows more and more uncertain following the dispute between the medical center and the Magnolia Society. After the surgery conducted on Hyeon-a, several doctors are punished for having assisted Su-jeong during the surgery despite the absence of IRB approval. However, Hee-sook manages to stop the suspensions temporarily when the mother of Hyeon-a threatens to sue the hospital and the Guseo Foundation. The problems of the hospital do not come to an end here. The chairman of Guseo finally decides to sell the hospital’s property, leaving Director Bu, Dr Do, and Dr Bae desperate to find a way to save the medical center.
In the end of Doctor X: Mafia in White, the closure of the hospital is revealed, but the doctors decide to find their own ways of living. The director, Bu, informs her of his retirement, though Su-jeong tries to persuade him not to leave and continue to lead the team of doctors instead. Later on, he goes to Hee-sook to propose an official position for Su-jeong at GUMC, and she accepts the proposal. Tae-kyeong finishes his residency program and works in the ER together with Seong-jin, whereas Seong-gyu contemplates working outside Korea. Although the institution faces its end, the doctors remain connected through the experiences they shared.
Did Won-jin Resign From Guseo University Seonam Medical Center?
Yes, Won-jin finally quits from GUMC, though there is no clear depiction of how she officially resigns from the place. In spite of everything that has happened between her and her father, Kim Seung-hyo, Won-jin still struggles with the sense of shame and guilt over what he did. She also finds it very hard emotionally to find out how many people her father had hurt, including Tae-kyeong and even the kids from Lagota. It is due to all this, along with other personal problems, that Won-jin feels she should take some time off work.
Just before she leaves, she talks to Seong-jin, who asks if she will join him at a hospital in a village far from any city if GUMC closes down. She also talks to Hee-sook, who advises her to call on her if she needs an agent from her agency. It appears that Won-jin takes this break because she feels like she needs one and not necessarily because she is quitting medicine.
Was Su-jeong Finally Able to Overcome Her Past Trauma?
The trauma of Su-jeong was related to the period when she lived in Lagota, the place where she was impressed by Seung-hyo and his work with the White Wings Medical Corps. She trusted him, imitated all of his surgical practices without any doubts, and even performed an operation without any anaesthesia, which ended in the patient’s death. But everything changed when she learned about his child abuse and wanted to save the children; at this moment, Baraka burned the place.
Despite all the efforts of Su-jeong, it was only possible to save Neema’s life. Baraka was dead, and Seung-hyo was left very badly injured. She had known everything about the terrible things he had done to those children, yet she saved his life. Years later, Su-jeong still reproached herself for not being able to keep the kids safe and for letting the killer live.
A few things start to change once Neema is back in her life when Seung-hyo undergoes a transplant. Being able to see the child alive and well, and ready to be taken away by her adoptive parents, provides Su-jeong with some form of closure. Neema uses her art to communicate with her and tells her that she should not be defined by what Seung-hyo has done. Then, Su-jeong spends some time with Neema, brings her presents and enjoys the missed moments with her. Moreover, she starts dreaming about Baraka again, who was absent from her dreams for such a long time. It can be said that she starts forgiving herself for the guilt she carried for years.
How Does Doctor X: Mafia in White End?
At the ending of Doctor X: Mafia in White, we see Tae-kyeong show Su-jeong and Won-jin the painting that he made with Neema, thanking them for their loyalty and assuring them not to worry about him anymore. Won-jin contemplates that there must have been something that prevented them from committing a horrendous act during the operation. Su-jeong, on the other hand, gets some relief now that she has reunited with Neema and has seen Baraka in her dreams.
The series ends in a hopeful manner for those who have survived their hardships. In the epilogue, Hee-sook, Won-jin, Su-jeong and Tae-kyeong meet in a karaoke lounge, together with Sang-beom. This ends in a joyful manner since it reminds us of the camaraderie that was developed throughout the series despite the uncertainty of the future of GUMC.
