Actor Lee Jun-young tossed aside his reputation and went all-in — then shocking news of Son Hyun-joo’s sudden death dropped, leaving viewers reeling.
In episode 8 of JTBC’s Saturday–Sunday drama Reborn Rookie, aired on the 21st, Hwang Jun-hyun (Lee Jun-young), whose body houses the soul of Kang Yong-ho (Son Hyun-joo), makes a fearless play to stop Kang Jae-kyung (Jeon Hye-jin)’s rampage.
According to Nielsen Korea, the drama hit 10.9% in the Seoul capital area and 11% nationwide, marking a new personal best. It also ranked No. 1 among all Sunday programs with 2049 target ratings of 3.1% in the capital area and 3.6% nationwide. The show climbed to No. 8 in all-time JTBC Friday–Saturday drama ratings, surpassing Strong Girl Nam-soon.
Kang Jae-kyung cornered Kang Jae-sung (Jin Goo) by handing over documents related to his slush fund to the police. As conflicts with key executives at Choi Seong Trading intensified, she pushed through a massive restructuring. Cracks formed within the company; while Hwang Jun-hyun argued restructuring was the only way to survive, Kang Bang-geul (Lee Joo-myung) and Park Bong-gi (Lee Sung-wook) pushed back.
Hwang Jun-hyun discovered that core talent from the hydrogen division had been added to the layoff list — a sign Kang Jae-kyung planned to hand the unit to Taeha Group. To block it, he proposed a last-resort gambit: sacrifice his own name and pin Kang Jae-sung’s slush fund scandal on orders from Kang Yong-ho. In the end, Kang Yong-ho shouldered all the blame, and Kang Jae-sung returned as president of Choi Seong Trading.
But the episode closed with a bombshell: breaking news reported Chairman Kang Yong-ho’s death. At the same moment, Hwang Jun-hyun collapsed with a splitting headache. Viewers are now asking what Kang Jae-kyung did inside the hospital room — and whether Hwang Jun-hyun can survive what’s coming.
After the broadcast, reactions were fiercely split: "The plot is impossible to predict," "This weekend was so frustrating," "The directing feels too childish," "Can’t wait for next week," and "There’s definitely a twist coming."
Meanwhile, Reborn Rookie airs Saturdays at 10:40 p.m. and Sundays at 10:30 p.m. KST, with replays available on TVING.