Reborn Rookie: The Body-Swap K-Drama From the Minds Behind Reborn Rich and The Penthouse

Reborn Rookie: The Body-Swap K-Drama From the Minds Behind Reborn Rich and The Penthouse

If you loved the corporate power struggles of Reborn Rich or the over-the-top scheming of The Penthouse, there is a new K-drama that deserves a spot on your list. Reborn Rookie (Korean title: The New Employee Chairman Kang) takes a familiar chaebol-revenge setup and gives it a wild body-swap twist — and it has quickly become one of the most-watched weekend dramas in Korea.

Here is what it is about, who is in it, and where you can watch it.

What Is Reborn Rookie About?

Kang Yong-ho is a ruthless, self-made chairman who built Choiseong Group into one of Korea's largest conglomerates. He lives by one rule: everything in life comes down to money. He is so committed to that belief that he even forced his twin children to compete against each other, earning him the nickname "god of business."

Everything changes after an accident. His son, trying to cover up an embezzlement scheme, hits a young soccer player named Hwang Jun-hyeon with the chairman's car. When the furious player confronts Chairman Kang, the two collide — and their souls swap. The all-powerful chairman suddenly wakes up in the body of a young rookie and is forced to start over from the very bottom as a new intern at his own company.

From there, the fun begins. Kang has to navigate office life as a nobody, rediscover the company he built from the ground up, and confront the corruption and family backstabbing he never noticed from the top floor. It is a "second-life" fantasy with sharp office comedy and a heavy dose of chaebol-family warfare.

The Cast

• Lee Jun-young as Hwang Jun-hyeon / Chairman Kang — he carries the tricky double role of the young soccer player whose body now houses the old chairman's soul. Early viewers have praised how convincingly he captures the chairman's mannerisms.
• Son Hyun-joo as Kang Yong-ho — the original chairman, seen in his own body before the swap. You may know him from Your Honor.
• Lee Ju-myoung as Kang Bang-geul — the conglomerate family's hidden, illegitimate daughter who returns under a new identity to prove herself.
• Jeon Hye-jin as Kang Jae-kyung — the fiercely goal-driven twin daughter who sees her father's accident as a chance to seize control.
• Jin Goo as Kang Jae-sung — the insecure twin son whose ambition far outweighs his ability.

Why K-Drama Fans Are Talking About It

It shares DNA with Reborn Rich. The series is based on a web novel by San Kyung, the same author behind Reborn Rich, and the two stories exist in a connected universe. If that show's 26%-rating phenomenon was your thing, this is the obvious next watch.

The Penthouse writer is involved. Kim Soon-ok, creator of The Penthouse, joined as the project's creator, so expect the kind of bold, twist-heavy storytelling that made that series a guilty-pleasure hit.

It is a tight 12 episodes. Unlike sprawling 16-episode dramas, this one is built for a quicker binge, which suits its fast-paced, twist-driven plot.

It has also performed well in the ratings, posting some of the strongest early numbers of any recent JTBC weekend drama — a sign that the body-swap hook is landing with Korean audiences.

Quick Facts

• Title: Reborn Rookie (also known as The New Employee Chairman Kang)
• Based on: The web novel by San Kyung (author of Reborn Rich)
• Genre: Fantasy, office comedy, chaebol drama
• Episodes: 12
• Premiered: May 30, 2026 (JTBC, weekends)
• Where to watch: TVING in Korea; available in select regions on Viu and Rakuten Viki

Should You Watch It?

If you enjoy chaebol dramas with a fantasy hook, office-comedy energy, and plenty of family scheming, Reborn Rookie is an easy pick — especially for fans of Reborn Rich who want to stay in that world. Just note that international availability depends on your region, so check whether Viki or Viu carries it where you live before diving in.

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Are you watching Reborn Rookie? Do you think it lives up to Reborn Rich? Share your thoughts in the comments.