ITZY member Ryujin made a surprise cameo in the final episode of JTBC’s weekend K-Drama Reborn Rookie, and the twist ending immediately ignited controversy.
In the finale that aired on the 5th, Hwang Jun-hyun (played by Lee Jun-young) regains his original body and starts a new life as a youth soccer team coach. On the street, he accidentally bumps into Ryujin — and the crash triggers a shocking twist: their souls swap, closing the series with a last-minute reversal.
After the broadcast, viewers reacted with disappointment, saying, "It was going well and the ending was a disaster," "Did we really need Ryujin’s scene?", "The ending ruined everything," and "They botched the conclusion again."
Meanwhile, according to ratings agency Nielsen Korea, the episode hit a new personal best with 13.6% nationwide and 13.5% in the Seoul metropolitan area. Reborn Rookie began at 3.7% for its premiere and, fueled by word of mouth, kept climbing until the end.