What is the ending of the original *Chairman Kang the Rookie*? Spoilers, basic information, number of episodes, OTT, characters

JTBC's new Saturday-Sunday drama, *Rookie Employee Chairman Kang*, is garnering attention for its resemblance to the original ending and character relationships immediately after its first broadcast.

 

This work is a fantasy office drama about Kang Yong-ho, the chairman of a large corporation, who wakes up in the body of Hwang Jun-hyun, a young man in his 20s, after an accident. Since the original web novel and webtoon have already been completed, viewers looking to predict the plot of the drama are searching for the differences between the original ending and the drama.

 

 

1. New Employee Chairman Kang Basic Info, Number of Episodes, and OTT Platform?

 

New Employee Chairman Kang is a JTBC weekend drama that premiered on May 30, 2026.

The broadcast time is scheduled for Saturday night at 10:40 PM and Sunday night at 10:30 PM, and the total number of episodes is 12.

 

The series blends elements of fantasy, office drama, and chaebol stories, and is based on the web novel and webtoon of the same name by writer San Kyung. The fact that writer Kim Soon-ok participated as a creator was also a factor that garnered attention even before its airing. It is currently available for replay on the OTT platform TVING.

 

In the first episode, the core setup leading to the accident involving Choi Sung Group Chairman Kang Yong-ho and soccer player Hwang Jun-hyun, and the subsequent soul exchange, was quickly revealed. On the JTBC replay page, the plot of the first episode is also described as Kang Yong-ho making remarks about succession, followed by Jun-hyun going to find Kang Yong-ho after being involved in a hit-and-run accident.

 

 

2. Who are the characters in the new employee Chairman Kang?

 

The central figures of the new employee Chairman Kang are Kang Yong-ho and Hwang Jun-hyun.

Kang Yong-ho is the chairman of the Choisung Group, a top-tier conglomerate in the business world, and a ruthless figure who judges the world based on money and performance. On the other hand, Hwang Jun-hyun was about to make a fresh start as a professional soccer player, but his life crumbles after a hit-and-run accident. Following this accident, the core conflict of the drama begins as Kang Yong-ho wakes up in Hwang Jun-hyun's body.

 

Kang Jae-kyung and Kang Jae-sung are Kang Yong-ho's twin children and serve as the core villains who embody the desires and corruption surrounding the group's succession. In the drama, the plot unfolds with them covering up a hit-and-run incident and even framing their father as the real culprit, creating a much more intense revenge drama atmosphere than the original work.

 

Kang Bang-geul, played by Lee Joo-myung, is Kang Yong-ho's youngest daughter and is a character who will act as another variable within the company. It is summarized that the drama has complicated the family structure compared to the original work and intensified the tragic elements by establishing Hwang Jun-hyun as a soccer player.

 

 

3. How does the original story of Chairman Kang, the new employee, end?

* From here on, spoilers for the original ending are included. *

 

 

In the original story, Kang Yong-ho enters Hwang Jun-hyun's body after an accident, while his original body falls into a coma. Subsequently, Kang Yong-ho uses his youthful body to infiltrate the company and personally witnesses the choices his children and family make regarding management rights and assets.

 

The core of the original work is not a simple body-swapping comedy, but rather a corporate revenge drama in which the founder witnesses the true face of his family and company firsthand.

 

The biggest twist in the original ending is that Kang Yong-ho's original body eventually dies. Blinded by their greed for inheritance and management rights, his children remove his life support, and he is unable to return to his original body. Instead, Hwang Jun-hyun's original soul is established to have already died at the time of the accident, so Kang Yong-ho ends up living entirely in Hwang Jun-hyun's body.

 

The will, revealed later, contains provisions to donate control of the group and most of the assets to an academic foundation, and to operate the company under a professional management system. Ultimately, the children receive no inheritance and fall into ruin, while Kang Yong-ho meets a conclusion where he starts a new life in the body of a young man in his twenties.

 

 

4. Will the drama's ending follow the original?

It is still difficult to say for sure whether the drama will follow the original ending exactly. In the original, it was a cold ending where Hwang Jun-hyun's soul had already died and Kang Yong-ho began a completely new life in a young body.

 

However, the drama transformed Hwang Jun-hyun from a mere intern into a promising soccer player and added a tragic narrative of him being a victim of a hit-and-run accident. Due to this setup, it is highly likely that the more critical issues in the drama will be how to restore Hwang Jun-hyun's body and life, or how Kang Yong-ho will take responsibility.

 

 

Furthermore, as writer Kim Soon-ok participated as the creator, the drama features strong elements such as family betrayal, a war over succession, slush funds, and the cover-up of a hit-and-run. In reviews of episodes 1 and 2, there were reactions noting that the process of Kang Yong-ho entering Choi Sung Group as an intern after the soul exchange, as well as the betrayal by his twin children, unfolded rapidly.

 

Therefore, while the drama's ending will follow the original's main plot of "criticism of chaebol hereditary succession and the collapse of the succession structure," elements such as Hwang Jun-hyun's salvation and Kang Bang-geul's role may be adapted. Ultimately, the key point to watch is whether Kang Yong-ho remains in Hwang Jun-hyun's body as in the original, or if the issue of body and soul is resolved differently to achieve a dramatic happy ending.

 

 

 

 

FAQ

Q. How many episodes is New Employee Chairman Kang?

A. It consists of a total of 12 episodes.

 

Q. Where is the new employee Chairman Kang's OTT?

A. You can watch it again on TVING.

 

Q. What is the original work of the new employee, Chairman Kang?

A. It is based on the web novel and webtoon of the same name by author Sangyeong.

 

Q. How does the original story of Chairman Kang, the new employee, end?

A. Kang Yong-ho begins a completely new life in Hwang Jun-hyun's body.

 

 

 

 

Real-time popular posts

What is the schedule for Psy's 2026 Summer Swag? Price, booking methods, guests, and what to bring.

Nasol Batch 31 Live Roundup! Sunja's Revelation, Instagram, Oksun, Youngsook

Goldland Ending Interpretation! The Identity of the Last Man, Episodes 9 & 10, Park Bo-young, Review