‘Reborn Rich’ DNA Meets Kim Soon-ok’s Dopamine in ‘Reborn Rookie’ — Why Isn’t Chairman Kang’s Rating Surge Taking Off? [Breakthrough]

It has been translated using AI Input : 2026-06-08 14:29:19 Change font Photo | JTBC The ratings momentum for 'Reborn Rookie' is drawing attention as it combines the DNA of 'Reborn Rich' with the dopamine-fueled storytelling of writer Kim Soon-ok, known for 'Temptation of Wife' and 'The Penthouse: War in Life.' According to Nielsen Korea on the 8th, episode 4 of JTBC's weekend drama 'Reborn Rookie,' which aired on the 7th, recorded an average nationwide household rating of 8.2 percent. 'Reborn Rookie' has shown steady ratings growth, rising by 1.5 percentage points with each episode since its premiere at 3.7 percent. The steady climb is especially notable because it breaks the usual weekend-drama pattern, where Saturday ratings are relatively lower due to competition with Friday-Saturday dramas and Sunday ratings are higher. 'Reborn Rookie' is a drama about Kang Yong-ho, the chairman of the major conglomerate Choi Sung Group, known as a business genius, who is involved in an accident and ends up living a second life he never wanted after his soul enters the body of Junhyun Hwang. It is based on the web novel 'Reborn Rookie' by Sang Yeong. Sang Yeong also wrote the original web novel for 'Reborn Rich,' which achieved a 26.9 percent rating in 2022, the highest for a Korean miniseries that year. That figure remains the second-highest rating ever for a non-terrestrial drama. 'Reborn Rookie' shares the same universe as 'Reborn Rich.' Kim Soon-ok, the so-called queen of makjang dramas who wrote 'Temptation of Wife' and 'The Penthouse: War in Life,' also joined the project as creator. Built on a strong original story, 'Reborn Rookie' delivers entertainment through the chairman's bold counterattack after becoming an intern, unfolding the plot with dopamine-packed momentum. Lee Jun-young, who plays both a 27-year-old soccer player and a 72-year-old conglomerate chairman with striking conviction, along with Lee Joo-myung, Jeon Hye-jin, and Jin Goo, further raises the show's immersion. As 'Reborn Rookie' competes with SBS's Friday-Saturday drama 'My Royal Nemesis' and MBC's Friday-Saturday drama 'Fifties Professionals,' attention is turning to what kind of record it will set next. JTBC's new weekend drama 'Reborn Rookie' airs every Saturday and Sunday at 10:40 p.m. This article has been translated by GripLabs Mingo AI.