‘Reborn Rookie’ Turns Lee Jun Young into a Corporate Kingmaker as Choiseong Power Players Circle

JTBC’s “Reborn Rookie” is ratcheting up its corporate succession drama as Lee Jun Young (playing soccer player Hwang Jun Hyun—who now holds the spirit of chairman Kang Yong Ho) begins attracting attention from the very power brokers he never expected to influence. Set amid the fierce inheritance battle inside the Choiseong Group, the show’s latest preview teases a new phase of maneuvering after Hwang Jun Hyun/ Kang Yong Ho strategically elevates a previously low-profile employee into the center of the conflict.

A rookie employee pulls the strings

In “Reborn Rookie,” Kang Yong Ho (Son Hyun Joo) is the formidable chairman of Choiseong Group—until an accident leads to a body swap, forcing his spirit into the youth and relative inexperience of soccer player Hwang Jun Hyun (Lee Jun Young). What begins as a survival and reset story quickly becomes a battle over who controls the conglomerate’s future.

According to the show’s preview, the momentum shifted dramatically when Hwang Jun Hyun emerged as a “strategic kingmaker” as the succession struggle heated up between Kang Jae Gyeong (Jeon Hye Jin) and Kang Jae Seong (Jin Goo). Instead of playing only the traditional gatekeeping game inside the company, Hwang Jun Hyun made an unexpected move: he brought Kang Bang Geul (Lee Ju Myoung), a figure who had been staying out of the spotlight, into focus as a new candidate.

Power players begin to take notice

This plot twist is where the story turns sharper. The preview notes that by placing Kang Bang Geul at the center of the unfolding war of succession, Hwang Jun Hyun’s influence starts to ripple outward—drawing the attention of Choiseong Group’s influential internal figures. In other words, it’s no longer just a contest between the heirs and their immediate power bases; it’s beginning to involve the broader ecosystem of executives and stakeholders who decide what “reality” looks like inside the company.

Newly released stills from the next episode show Choiseong’s family power players seeking out Hwang Jun Hyun as his sway grows. One image features Na Eun Se (Lee Seo An), who has replaced Kang Jae Seong in an executive role. Rather than hesitating in the social dance of hierarchy, Na Eun Se is shown extending her hand for a handshake as soon as she sees him—suggesting both confidence and a willingness to align herself early with whichever faction appears most capable of steering the situation.

Another still captures a tense dynamic between Kang Jae Gyeong and Hwang Jun Hyun, hinting at why the reigning power player would choose—or feel forced—to engage directly with someone she likely considers an unwelcome variable. The confrontation implies that Hwang Jun Hyun’s choices are producing results fast enough to provoke a high-level response.

Why this matters for the succession story

Succession dramas typically rely on a familiar structure: an heir consolidates support, a rival attempts to block them, and each move is measured by political loyalty within the corporate hierarchy. “Reborn Rookie,” however, has added an extra layer—Hwang Jun Hyun’s outsider perspective and strategic instinct. Even while confined to the status of a “rookie employee” within the company, he’s depicted as able to reshape the battlefield by controlling who becomes visible and who becomes expendable.

That is why the preview’s emphasis on “company power players” matters. When established insiders start actively approaching Hwang Jun Hyun, it signals that the show is expanding the conflict from a family-level tug-of-war to a broader struggle over institutional control—potentially setting up alliances, betrayals, and sudden shifts in who holds the upper hand.

The handshake scene, in particular, reads like more than a polite greeting. In such stories, the first gesture can function like a declaration. Na Eun Se’s immediate action suggests that whoever consolidates influence may quickly become the preferred partner—especially if the election of a new candidate (Kang Bang Geul) begins to gain traction.

Next episode: attention turns into consequences

With the next episode scheduled for June 20 at 10:40 p.m. KST, “Reborn Rookie” is poised to test what Hwang Jun Hyun will do once he’s no longer just shaping events from the shadows. The preview frames his next moves as the key question: will he double down on the strategy that elevated Kang Bang Geul, or will he have to recalibrate under pressure from those who now want a direct say in the company’s future?

As more powerful figures step into the equation, the series appears ready to escalate beyond persuasion and into direct power contests—where relationships can flip instantly, and a “rookie” can either become the new center of gravity or be forcibly removed from the board.