In the 13th episode of SBS's Friday-Saturday drama Dr. Romantic Season 3, aired on the 9th, Kang Dong Joo (played by Yoo Yeon Seok) returned as the head of the trauma center, leading to conflicts with Seo Woo Jin (played by Ahn Hyo Seop) and Cha Eun Jae (played by Lee Sung Kyung).
The members of Doldam Hospital welcomed their ace, Kang Dong Joo. After completing his military service and gaining trauma study and experience in the United States, Kang Dong Joo revealed his determination, saying, "Let's start from there, following the principles."
However, Kang Dong Joo pointed out the ambiguity in distinguishing between severe and emergency trauma patients, declaring they would no longer accept non-trauma patients. As a result, dissatisfaction grew among the existing members of Doldam Hospital due to Kang Dong Joo's refusal to accept patients for three days.
In the end, when Cha Eun Jae received a request for help in the Doldam emergency room, she disobeyed Kang Dong Joo's orders and performed surgery on a non-trauma patient. However, as Cha Eun Jae performed the surgery, multiple car accident victims were brought into the trauma center. Frustrated, Cha Eun Jae sweated profusely to quickly finish the surgery and return to the trauma center.
Kang Dong Joo became furious upon learning of Cha Eun Jae's departure. Even while undergoing rehabilitation, Seo Woo Jin received news of the emergency and went to help Kang Dong Joo. However, despite their efforts, the patient still passed away.
Kang Dong Joo reprimanded Cha Eun Jae for allowing a non-trauma specialist to perform surgery on non-trauma patients. Seo Woo Jin confronted him, saying, "Are you saying that saving lives is reckless? We are just doing what we learned from Teacher Kim." Teacher Kim watched their conflict unfold.
Kang Dong Joo stated, "Even if Teacher Kim becomes our spiritual guide, he must not become our goal. If that happens, we won't be able to achieve anything," and proceeded to perform his first surgical operation in the trauma center.
Yoo Yeon Seok's return in Dr. Romantic Season 3 captivated viewers, resulting in a nationwide viewership rating (according to Nielsen Korea) of 14.8%, setting a new record for the drama. The peak viewership rating reached 16.7% at one point.