K-drama “Doctor Cha” Episode 13 Recap & Review & Analysis

---

Doctor Cha (Korean: 닥터 차정숙) is an ongoing South Korean television series starring Uhm Jung-hwa in the title role, along with Kim Byung-chul, Myung Se-bin, and Min Woo-hyuk. It premiered on JTBC on April 15, 2023, and airs every Saturday and Sunday at 22:30 (KST).It is also available for streaming on TVING and Netflix in selected regions. The series is a commercial hit and became one of the highest-rated series in Korean cable television history.

Doctor Cha Episode 13 Recap

---

🧑‍⚕ Continuing from episode 12 of ” Doctor Cha “, Cha Jeong-Suk finally musters up the courage to ask for a divorce from Seo In-Ho. However, Seo In-Ho feigns unconsciousness and refuses to face reality. He kneels down and begs for more time, claiming that he is working on his relationship with Choi Seung-Hi and will spend the rest of his life repenting for what he has done to Cha Jeong-Suk. Despite this, Cha Jeong-Suk remains resolute in her decision as infidelity cannot be solved by simply kneeling down.

🧑‍⚕ Kwak Ae-Sim finds out about the affair and causes a scene until she learns that Choi Seung-Hi can inherit a large sum of money from her father if they get divorced. Meanwhile, Roy Kim tells Cha Jeong-Suk that Yoo Ji-Seon’s mother wanted him to convey a message – she knew her daughter had cancer but only wanted someone to blame. Moved by Roy Kim’s help, Cha Jeong-Suk thanks him before leaving.

🧑‍⚕ The next day, Seo In-Ho tries to make amends by bringing breakfast and other things for Cha Jeong-Suk but still feels distracted after learning about Yoo Ji-Seon’s case at work. Jung-Min advises him to accept reality since he would also feel angry if it were the other way around.

🧑‍⚕ Choi Seung-Hi decides not to pursue legal action against Seo In-Ho regarding their medical dispute but scoffs when he says he doesn’t want a divorce from Cha Jeong-Suk anymore. Roy Kim goes to the police station for DNA testing while Deok-Rye visits Choi Seung-Hi who happens to be her doctor.

🧑‍⚕ Cha Jeong-suk is shocked when she sees this and struggles with telling Deok-Rye about Choi being involved with her husband’s affair or encouraging her to switch doctors. She confronts Choi Seung-Hi and accuses her of using Deok-Rye as a hostage.

🧑‍⚕ Seo In-Ho intentionally ignores Roy Kim’s presence during dinner with Cha Jeong-Suk and Deok-Rye, instead focusing on making the latter happy. Kwak Ae-Sim also discovers that she is someone else’s mistress at the same restaurant and accidentally reveals Seo In-Ho’s secret affair.

Doctor Cha Episode 13 Review and Analysis

Cha Jeong-Suk finally brought up the topic of divorce in this episode. Divorce has a great impact on all members of a family, and I appreciate how the writer had Cha Jeong-Suk discuss her thoughts on divorce with her two children. Cha Jeong-Suk is always someone who makes decisions based on reason, and just hearing her calmly and maturely talk about divorce with Seo In-Ho made me admire her courage in facing such a big decision.

“This isn’t solely your fault. Your mother didn’t teach you the right values, and I was too lenient in my attitude towards everything. We both have some responsibility here. I’ve already made my decision, and now that we’ve reached a point where keeping our roles as Jung-Min’s and I-Rang’s parents won’t be affected, I can accept that you’re their father but as far as being my husband goes, you no longer hold any meaning to me. I don’t even want to hate you now; there’s no need for it. We’re done – let’s get divorced.”

In “Doctor Cha,” Cha Jeong-Suk displays a very composed attitude which showcases an attractive maturity that comes with being an adult.

After all, when one discovers their partner cheating while discussing divorce, it would normally lead to shouting matches (as seen through Kwak Ae-Sim’s reaction at the end of this episode upon discovering her boyfriend already has another girlfriend). However, when Cha Jeong-Suk brings up divorce she does so with some self-reflection.

At the same time, having heart-to-heart conversations between Cha Jeong-Suk and her two children is something that was much needed in this drama series. She doesn’t force them to fully accept what happened but instead gives them choices – like when she said “Wouldn’t it be better if none of this ever happened?”

This sets an excellent example for her children, letting them know that adults face consequences when they make mistakes. No one knows how to handle divorce, as I-Rang said “So we have to decide this too?” This also highlights how Cha Jeong-Suk really thought things through before making the decision to get divorced.

I think “being brave enough to admit mistakes” is what the writer wants to teach us through Cha Jeong-Suk and Jung-Min. At first, Jung-Min also avoided taking responsibility because of fear, but he did not shirk his own negligence. I think this is the same as Cha Jeong-Suk. Facing her extramarital affair, she reflected on herself and was willing to pay the price for her actions.

Only by facing one’s own mistakes can one become better. This is similar to how Roy Kim handled Yoo Ji-Seon’s medical dispute when he said that “correcting mistakes is the right thing to do.” Similarly, Jung-Min does not shamelessly defend himself or indulge in self-pity when faced with wrongdoing; instead, he faces it calmly.

However, does the writer want to use Seo In-Ho’s desperate attempt at being a good husband and father again to resolve his mistake? (Please don’t! I still prefer Cha Jeong-Suk divorcing Seo In-Ho~~~)