tvN's 'Understanding Graduate Life' (hereinafter referred to as 'UGL') has finally confirmed its first broadcast date after many ups and downs. The first episode is set to air at 9:10 PM on the 12th.

'UGL' is the first spin-off of the 'Hospital Playlist' series. It tells the story of first-year residents in the Gynecology Department at Jongno Yulje Hospital: Oh Yi-young (played by Go Yoon-jung), Pyo Nam-kyung (played by Shin Chia), Eom Jae-il (played by Kang Yoo-seok), and Kim Sa-bi (played by Han Ye-ji).

The main setting of the hospital has changed. The series has moved from the original Yulje Hospital in the 'Hospital Playlist' series to Jongno Yulje Hospital. The focus is particularly on the Gynecology Department.

The 'Hospital Playlist' series portrayed fictional doctors who do not exist in reality. It conveyed healing through the beautiful fantasy of good doctors. While 'UGL' maintains the warmth of the series, it has also explored new directions.

Will it be possible to form a sense of empathy? The production team stated, "We have maintained the same framework of telling small but warm daily stories from the existing series," and added, "However, we've added freshness by making it a growth story for younger residents. It is a totally different feeling of empathy from 'Hospital Playlist'."

However, the conflict with the government has been pointed out as a barrier to the drama’s entry. Last February, residents collectively resigned in protest against the increase in medical school admissions. As this conflict has elongated, the scheduling of 'UGL' was also postponed indefinitely.

Fortunately, the atmosphere this year is quite different. The government promised zero medical school admissions for the 2026 academic year last month. Residents are also returning to the field. According to the Ministry of Health and Welfare, as of the 30th of last month, there are 393 residents working at the big five hospitals.

<Photo source=tvN>