Yoo Yeon-Seok confirmed to make an appearance in Resident Playbook as a Hospital Playlist character
Actor Yoo Yeon-seok will make a special appearance in the tvN drama Resident Playbook, as reported by MoneyS on April 27, 2025. In the fifth episode, airing on April 26, the Jongno Yulje Hospital’s Obstetrics and Gynaecology team will hold their first dinner gathering, where pediatric surgery professor Ahn Jung-won (played by Yoo Yeon-seok) becomes the second guest to visit the hospital following Kim Jun-wan (played by Jung Kyung-ho).
Resident Playbook premiered on April 12, 2025, on tvN and is available for streaming on Netflix. A spin-off of the acclaimed Hospital Playlist, the series is set at Jongno Yulje Medical Center and follows a group of first-year OB-GYN residents navigating the challenges of medical training, personal growth, and friendship.
More about Yoo Yeon-seok's role in Resident Playbook
The principal cast of Resident Playbook includes Go Youn-jung as Oh Yi-young, Shin Si-ah as Pyo Nam-kyung, Kang You-seok as Um Jae-il, Han Ye-ji as Kim Sa-bi, and Jung Joon-won as senior resident Goo Do-won.
Directed by Lee Min-soo and written by Kim Song-hee, the show has received great criticism for encapsulating the difficult lives of medical trainees. The series did have a delay following a medical strike in South Korea, but the show proved particularly powerful because of its themes and storytelling.
Known for his consistent warm-hearted nature in the Hospital Playlist series, Ahn Jung-won, Yoo Yeon-seok's character, has always provided comfort to those around him. His appearance in Resident Playbook raises anticipation about who he will meet and what relationships will unfold.
Newly released photos show Ahn Jung-won joining the dinner with Jongno Yulje Hospital’s obstetrics and gynecology staff, sparking curiosity about why a pediatric surgeon from a different department is involved with them.
Resident Playbook so far
The first episode shows Oh Yi-young drowning in debt after failing her internship. She barely manages to secure an OB-GYN residency, which gets because her sister gave the department head a call. Yi-young now has to work with the other first years—Pyo Nam-kyung, Kim Sa-bi, and Um Jae-il (who is a former K-pop idol)—under the direction of the overly serious and stern Professor Seo Jung-min.
The episode suggests that there will be plenty of problems with the new first years, including long hours and steep learning curves. Yi-young's secret relationship with the senior resident, Ku Do-won, complicates things for Yi-young as she tries to get a fresh start.
In episode 2, the residents confront the emotional and physical toll of their roles. Yi-young grapples with self-doubt, while Um Jae-il considers quitting amidst the pressure. Senior fellow Chu Min-ha shares her past struggles, offering perspective and support. The episode emphasizes the importance of resilience and camaraderie in the face of adversity.
Episode 3 presents the team with a high-risk delivery, challenging their increasing skill set and teamwork. Yi-young begins to find her footing and further develops her confidence through real-world experience—by delivering a baby. Heo Sun-bin and Yong Seok-min from neurosurgery are special guests and share expertise and mentorship from a different department.
In episode 4, cardiothoracic surgeon Kim Jun-wan visits Jongno Yulje to give direction and to share his personal experiences from the main branch. His presence has a huge impact on the residents, showing how they are connected through the wider Yulje family. The episode shows the residents' personal development through the changes in their relationships in the department.
In episode 5, pediatric surgeon Ahn Jung-won visits the OB-GYN department for dinner for their first department dinner gathering, sharing his characteristically positive, light-hearted demeanour and stories from the main branch to make the residents feel comfortable and hopeful. The episode shows the importance of relationships between departments and how the mission of patient care was shared across the entire hospital.
Episode 5 of Resident Playbook will air at 9:20 pm on April 26.
