'Rookie Employee Chairman Kang' ends with a glorious reverse sweep at 13.6%... Lee Jun-young pulls off a surprise soul switch with Ryujin

From 3.7% to 13.6%, the completion of a 'reverse-sweep miracle'

JTBC weekend drama 'Rookie Employee Chairman Kang' ended its long run with a remarkable upward viewership trajectory. According to Nielsen Korea, the final episode (Episode 12) aired the previous day posted a 13.6% nationwide rating, breaking its own highest mark. Given that the figure was only 3.7% at the first broadcast, it is a clear example of a 'perfect reverse sweep' that goes beyond mere popularity. The inevitable result came from a solid storyline and tightly packed performances by the cast.

The standout moment of the finale was, without question, the narrative of a satisfying counterattack carried out by 'Hwang Jun-hyun' (played by Lee Jun-young) and 'Chairman Kang Yong-ho' (played by Son Hyun-joo) of the Choi Sung Group. Hwang Jun-hyun, who had been delegated the authority of the eldest son 'Kang Jae-seong' (played by Jin Goo), called an emergency board meeting and exposed the ugly misconduct of the eldest daughter 'Kang Jae-gyeong' (played by Jeon Hye-jin) to the public. Then, the scene in which Chairman Kang—returning dramatically from the brink of death—appears and removes Kang Jae-gyeong from the chair brought viewers a thrilling 'catharsis'.

After the power struggle ended, Hwang Jun-hyun started a new chapter in life as a soccer foundation coach founded by Chairman Kang. His secret romance with the youngest daughter 'Kang Bang-geul' (played by Lee Joo-myung) also seemed to bear fruit, pointing to a perfect happy ending. But the production team caught an off-guard viewer. Near the end of the broadcast, an unprecedented ending—where he bumps into the 'mysterious woman' (played by Ryujin of ITZY) whom he happened to meet in the hallway and it hints at yet another 'soul switch'—sparked intense curiosity about a possible Season 2, leaving a lingering aftertaste.

At the center of this hit run was the sheer presence of 'Lee Jun-young', who portrayed the inner world of a seasoned 70-something conglomerate chairman while wearing the shell of a man in his 20s. He earned praise from both critics and the public alike for holding the drama's weighty core steady as he handled the demanding setup of 'two roles by one person' with careful control of pace and tone.