On April 12, 2025, the long-awaited medical K-drama Resident Playbook finally arrived on Netflix, to the delight of Hospital Playlist fans. Created by producer-director Shin Won-ho and writer Kim Song-hee, the tvN spinoff reunited fans with the doctors of the fictional Yulje university hospital, as a new set of students begin their residency in the OB-GYN department at the Jongno branch.
Over the 12-episode season, viewers got to know the new doctors as they grew and supported each other through the challenging work, while fans of the original also got to check in on the franchise's ensemble cast. With the finale out on May 18, fans are clamoring for any news of Resident Playbook's (or maybe even Hospital Playlist's) future. Below, read on for everything we know about a possible Resident Playbook season 2 so far.
What happens at the end of 'Resident Playbook'?
Throughout Resident Playbook's 12 episodes, the slice-of-life drama's biggest conflict is whether residents Yi-young (Go Youn-jung), Nam-kyung (Shin Si-a), Sa-bi (Go Youn-jung), and Jae-il (Kang You-seok) will make it through their first residency year or quit due to the intense working conditions. This question looms largest for Yi-young, who had previously worked at a local hospital but left under mysterious circumstances. (We eventually learn that she'd quit after she bit a senior doctor who was sexually harassing a nurse.)
Yi-young initially only planned to stay in residency long enough to pay off her 50 million won (about $35,000) debt. The finale briefly sets up Yi-young possibly quitting, after winning 30 million won in the lottery, but it turns out she's missed the deadline to claim the prize pot. The season ends with Yi-young beginning her second year of residency.
Even though she may just be staying for money, Yi-young and her fellow residents became more skilled and compassionate doctors throughout the season. Yi-young slowly gains more confidence and passion for the work, thanks to Professor Seo Jung-min (Lee Bong-ryun) encouraging her to be a more active participant in deliveries and surgeries. In the finale, Nam-kyung experiences both her first patient death and her first delivery, while a tough professor compliments Jae-il. And Sa-bi, who struggled with bedside manner throughout the season, learns how to crack jokes to make patients smile.
Of course, romantic storylines are needed in every K-drama. After confessing their feelings for each other earlier in the season, Yi-young and her chief resident/brother-in-law Do-won (Jung Joon-won) exchange couple rings, signaling a commitment toward the future. Jae-il confessed his feelings for Sa-bi, and though she wasn't ready to date, their possible romance was still left open-ended. Meanwhile, new OB-GYN intern Tak Gi-on (Cha Kang-Yoon) signaled his interest in Nam-kyung.
Is 'Resident Playbook' renewed for season 2?
As of the Resident Playbook finale, tvN hasn't revealed whether the series will return for more episodes. While the show aired on Netflix, its renewal is based on the Korean cable network, and a decision will likely be based on domestic ratings.
According to Soompi, the May 18 finale scored its average nationwide rating of its run at 8.1 percent, and was the most-watched cable program of the entire weekend. While it didn't reach the heights of Hospital Playlist, whose season 1 and 2 finales hit around 14 percent each, Resident Playbook has also remained in Netflix Korea's Top 10 for its entire run, and the show has become one of 2025's most popular K-dramas so far.
Who in the 'Resident Playbook' cast would return for season 2?
All of Resident Playbook's main cast would likely return for a season 2, including Go Youn-jung (Oh Yi-young), Shin Si-a (Pyo Nam-kyung), Han Ye-ji (Kim Sa-bi), Kang You-seok (Um Jae-il), Jung Joon-won (Ku Do-won), Hong Na-hyun (Cha Da-hye), and Lee Bong-ryun (Seo Jung-min). As with season 1, Resident Playbook season 2 would likely include more cameos from Hospital Playlist.
Will there be a 'Hospital Playlist' season 3?
Since the season finale of Resident Playbook mostly wrapped up each character's journey, many fans are hoping that a different show will return for more episodes. K-drama viewers have been calling for a third season of Hospital Playlist since season 2 ended in 2021, and Resident Playbook's popularity shows that the franchise still has a future in Korea.
In an interview around Resident Playbook's release, Shin Won-ho confirmed that a possible Hospital Playlist season 3 would depend on the spinoff's performance.
"I gave a similar answer during Hospital Playlist. It really all depends on the viewers. If we receive enough feedback, whether through numbers or overall response, we’ll consider it," he said at the time. "I’m still feeling the pressure about Hospital Playlist season 3. Both the actors and the viewers are constantly pressing me. If we do end up making it, it’ll probably be because of that stress."
