'The Trauma Code' author addresses W3b earnings rumor: 'I've been writing for 10 years'

Lee Nak-jun, the author of the original web novel behind "The Trauma Code: Heroes on Call," has addressed rumors that he earned 3 billion won ($2.1 million) from the series.

Appearing Monday on KBS2's "Maljasho" in a special segment on various professions, Lee was asked by host Jeong Beom-gyun about reports that he had made 3 billion won. "I'm a 10-year writer," Lee said. "If you add up everything I've earned as a writer over those 10 years, that's probably about right."

Lee is a former ear, nose and throat specialist who wrote the web novel that became the Netflix drama series. He also runs a YouTube channel called "Doctor Friends."

Lee said his decision to become a full-time writer was driven not by the success of "The Trauma Code: Heroes on Call" but by the failure of a previous work. "My earlier work flopped," he said. "Daily sales were 20,000 won ($14). What came to me was 10,000 won. I was in my mid-30s, a breadwinner with two kids — earning 10,000 won a day on the side? That's not going to work." The experience pushed him to survive as a writer at all costs, and his next project became "The Trauma Code: Heroes on Call."

"Writers are completely freelance — more precarious than contract workers," Lee said. He added that he had been working three days a week as a salaried physician, which paid modestly, and had told himself he would quit medicine when his writing income reached two or three times that amount. "That's what 'The Trauma Code: Heroes on Call' did for me, and that's how I became a full-time writer," he said.

On his next project, Lee said a work titled "AI Doctor" had secured a strong deal following "The Trauma Code: Heroes on Call" and is now in development as a drama series. Asked which actors he would like to work with, he said, "Personally, I'm a fan of Lee Do-hyun and Song Kang."

"The Trauma Code: Heroes on Call" was released in January last year and reached No. 1 on Netflix's global non-English TV chart within two weeks.