Viewers were left stunned as Lee Jun-young’s gripping performance coincided with the jaw-dropping reveal that Son Hyun-joo’s character is actually alive.
According to Nielsen Korea, episode 10 of JTBC’s weekend drama Reborn Rookie, which aired on the 28th, hit a nationwide rating of 11.1%, a new series high. The drama peaked at 12.1% in minute-by-minute ratings, ranking No. 1 among Sunday programs.
In this episode, Hwang Jun-hyun (played by Lee Jun-young), who has been acting as a close aide within Kang Jae-kyung’s (Jeon Hye-jin) circle, zeroed in on proving the identity of the culprit who targeted Kang Yong-ho. After discovering that the hospital’s CCTV system had been checked on the day of the incident, Hwang confirmed he was chasing the same objective as Kang Jae-kyung and tracked down the person in charge.
Following an aggressive pursuit, he recorded the staffer’s phone to identify the person labeled as the “money line,” but Chairman Na Byung-mo’s (Jung Jae-sung) secretary showed up at the reserved location. Holding leverage over Kang Jae-kyung, Na attempted to bribe hospital security to obtain the CCTV footage.
Na then tried to rattle Kang Jae-kyung by threatening to tip off media outlets with the CCTV materials, pressuring her to hand over the hydrogen business technology without receiving the remaining payment. Despite her insistence that she did not kill Kang Yong-ho, Kang Jae-kyung found herself cornered by Na’s tactics and spiraled into a state of crisis.
Driven to a dead end, Kang Jae-kyung confided the scattered truths that Na Eun-se (Lee Seo-an) had been hiding and asked Hwang Jun-hyun for help. From there, they began to systematically collect evidence of Na Byung-mo’s crimes to expose his misdeeds.
The final moments delivered a dramatic twist that shocked viewers. Min Seok-do (Kwon Hae-sung), Kang Jae-kyung’s husband, stumbled upon a secret hideout where Kang Jae-sung (Jin Goo) was secretly sheltering and caring for Kang Yong-ho (Son Hyun-joo). The revelation raised burning questions about what really happened that day and where the truth will lead next.
Right after the broadcast, netizens reacted, saying, "I can’t believe Son Hyun-joo is alive," "Lee Jun-young sounds exactly like Son Hyun-joo—tone and delivery are spot on," "What an unpredictable twist," and "It’s even better than the original."
Meanwhile, Reborn Rookie airs every Saturday at 10:40 p.m. and Sunday at 10:30 p.m. on JTBC, with replays available on TVING.