JTBC's Reborn Rookie officially kicked off its long-awaited revenge arc as Kang Yong Ho, now living inside the body of aspiring football player Hwang Jun Hyun, made his way back into Choesung Group and began plotting his counterattack against those who betrayed him.
The second episode, which aired on May 31, followed Kang Yong Ho (Son Hyun Joo) as he adjusted to life in Hwang Jun Hyun's body (Lee Jun Young) while searching for a way to reclaim his own. The drama recorded 5.2 percent viewership nationwide and in the Seoul metropolitan area, while its peak household rating in the capital region reached 5.8 percent, reflecting growing audience interest.
The episode began with Kang Yong Ho visiting the hospital in hopes of recovering his original body. Instead, he encountered an unexpected complication: the closer the two bodies came into contact, the greater the danger posed to both lives. Realizing that a direct solution was impossible for now, he resolved to continue living as Hwang Jun Hyun and seek a different path forward.
The drama's tension intensified through the increasingly ruthless actions of Kang Jae Kyung (Jeon Hye Jin) and Kang Jae Sung (Jin Goo). Rather than worrying about their father's condition following the accident, the siblings focused on minimizing the fallout. They even attempted to silence Hwang Jun Hyun with compensation, revealing a cold indifference that shocked viewers. Watching their behavior, Kang Yong Ho was forced to confront his own past mistakes as a father who had repeatedly covered up his children's wrongdoing.
The power struggle within Choesung Group became even more blatant as public criticism mounted. The siblings began shifting responsibility for various controversies onto their father and openly discussed the possibility of stripping him of his chairman position. Their willingness to sacrifice family ties in pursuit of power further heightened the drama's stakes.
The first signs of Kang Yong Ho's counterattack arrived unexpectedly. Appearing at an emergency press conference in Hwang Jun Hyun's body, he stunned everyone by acknowledging that responsibility for the accident rested with Kang Yong Ho while carefully distancing the company and his children from direct blame. The calculated move reflected his determination to protect the conglomerate he had spent a lifetime building.
Yet his children's actions only grew more disturbing. A shocking sequence suggested they were prepared to remove their father permanently while he remained hospitalized. After witnessing the suspicious activity, Kang Yong Ho triggered a fire alarm to prevent disaster. The moment underscored the painful reality that he had been completely abandoned by the very family he once trusted.
Another turning point emerged through items found among Hwang Jun Hyun's belongings. A blank check and a heartfelt message revealed the young athlete's desperation to pursue his dream. Moved by Jun Hyun's circumstances, Kang Yong Ho reached a life-changing decision, resolving to offer the empire he had built as compensation for the young man's lost future.
With his plan taking shape, Kang Yong Ho began preparing for full-scale revenge. Using Hwang Jun Hyun's identity, he secured an internship at Choesung Group and entered the company's Materials Team 2 as a rookie employee. While quietly learning the inner workings of the organization, he also established a new living arrangement and health management system to support his mission. At the same time, he made contact with longtime confidant Lee Sang Jae (Kim Jong Tae), delivering a letter containing the chairman's true intentions.
The episode concluded with one of its most memorable moments. Moments after a declaration abolishing hereditary succession was revealed during an executive meeting, Hwang Jun Hyun unexpectedly appeared before the assembled leadership.
"Then does that mean I'm qualified too?"
The provocative question immediately shook the room and signaled the beginning of a new chapter in Choesung Group's succession battle, leaving viewers eager to see how Kang Yong Ho's revenge will unfold.
Reported by News Culture M.J._mj94070777@nc.press
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