Here’s a collection of quotes from the Korean drama, Reborn Rookie (2026):
Episode 1
“The sun sets and rises right on schedule, so why can’t people get it together after a lifetime of work?” – Chairman Kang
“So I know what brings profit and what brings loss. Racing against time, I remind myself every single second.” – Chairman Kang
“In the old days, if a king said he’d pass the throne to his heir, all his subjects would have begged him not to. But you all were eagerly waiting for me, Kang Yong Ho, to step down. Not a single one of you is protesting.” – Chairman Kang
“The greater the conflict, the easier it is to separate the wheat from the chaff.” – Chairman Kang
“My grandma may forget her name, but she’d never forget her grandson is a soccer player.” – Hwang Jun Hyeon
“They’ve lived their whole lives under my thumb. Whoever takes over needs to be properly empowered. I’ve decided they can’t be intimidated anymore. I won’t let fear of their father turn them into incompetent fools.” – Chairman Kang
“Being a chaebol chairman doesn’t make a difference. You’re just a parent. It’s a life sentence.” – Chairman Kang
“Shouldn’t a decent human being apologize first?” – Hwang Jun Hyeon
“To me, an apology is money. There’s no apology more sincere than paying the right price.” – Chairman Kang
“It must be fun, having the world bend to your will. What gives you the right to decide my future? You think you can glance at my life and put a price tag on my life? Does my life seem that worthless to you?” – Hwang Jun Hyeon
“For me, soccer was my entire life. It meant more to me than Choiseong ever did to you.” – Hwang Jun Hyeon
“All the sacrifices my grandma made, and all my sweat and tears. I shed on the field. Can you put a price on all of that?” – Hwang Jun Hyeon
Episode 2
“As long as I can protect Choiseong, I would sacrifice myself a hundred times over.” – Chairman Kang
“Go on, breathe your sighs of relief. This isn’t over yet.” – Chairman Kang
“Give me Choiseong.” – Hwang Jun Hyeon
“It’s my first job. A first job is like a first love.” – Intern Hwang
“It’s like a first love. You can’t forget that company until the day you die, and even after you leave. You feel so attached that you think of it as your home.” – Chairman Kang
“Every employee of Choiseong is now qualified to become the next chairman.” – Chairman Kang
“Then does that mean I’m qualified, too? To be the chairman of Choiseong?” – Intern Hwang
“So it begins. Everything you brats enjoyed thanks to your old man. I’m taking it all back, one by one. Just you wait.” – Chairman Kang
Episode 3
“I’ve tossed a stone into a calm sea, so it’s bound to make some waves.” – Intern Hwang
“The tsunami has hit. Now the hidden sharks will start to surface.” – Intern Hwang
“There are a few things in life that are hard to stomach. What really gets me is when someone who’s no better than me lords it over me. Are we less qualified than Sales?” – Intern Hwang
“In the chairman’s eyes, there’s no difference between us. We’re all just employees to him.” – Intern Hwang
“You only find out who’s really tough when you’re pushed to the brink. You see which ones fall and which ones cling on.” – Intern Hwang
“The more work, the bigger our team. And we get respect and promotions. That’s basic.” – Intern Hwang
“When I talk to him, it’s like I possessed. I start doing things that are out of character.” – Manager Park
“Let’s smoke them out of their hole. So we can see who the top dog is.” – Intern Hwang
“Let’s take back Choiseong together.” – Intern Hwang
Episodes 4-6
“Your eyes, your expression, your whole demeanor. They were all brimming with confidence. There’s something about you that makes people trust you.” – Kang Bang Geul
“He who stays in one place too long will be ruined, and he who roams will prosper. A business can’t grow if it remains stagnant.” – Kang Jae Gyeong
“Why does he have to be so frustratingly charming?” – Kang Bang Geul
“After my children betrayed me, I was thinking life was meaningless. But seeing you again gives me strength.” – Chairman Kang
“I don’t care if we lose money or not. All I care about is beating you.” – Kang Jae Seong
“Trust is like a glass. Once it shatters, it can never be the same.” – Kang Bang Geul
“Close ties or not, a deal is a deal. It’s all about the money. You need more than a great offer, not just promising top dollar. You have to present a vision that covers the whole business.” – Intern Hwang
Episodes 7-8
“You want to be Chairwoman but can’t even control your temper?” – Jo Seon Hee
“I could forget everything else, but never about my sweet boy.” – Heo Ok Sun
“You and I will never work together, even if the sky falls.” – Intern Hwang
“I couldn’t stand father’s constant pushing, so I tried everything I could just to beat you, but I always lose to you. Now I finally know why. I’m not as ruthless as you.” – Kang Jae Seong
“When a company is struggling, you start by firing the worst staff. You know that’s just how it works.” – Intern Hwang
“What employee can afford to fight a wrongful termination for years? If they lose their job just like that.” – Manager Park
“Spatial awareness. You must constantly survey your surroundings. That’s how you predict their moves. It’s the foundation of defense.” – Heo Ok Sun
“Stop apologizing for being a failure and start thinking. Think about what you can do. And who you’re going to side with.” – Jo Seon Hee
“So eat up. You can’t scheme on an empty stomach.” – Jo Seon Hee
“So it was me. I’m the one who turned you into a monster.” – Chairman Kang
“The one who brought Choiseong to ruin was me after all.” – Chairman Kang
Episode 9
“Was every single tear calculated? Did you hate me so much to go so far as to use my death?” – Chairman Kang
“I finally understand why you wrote that you wanted Choiseong on the corporate check. I finally do.” – Chairman Kang
“Why are you lying down? You said you’d fight to the end.” – Chairman Kang
“Even knowing my own children had tried to kill you, my selfish desire to fix my broken life made me turn a blind eye to you.” – Chairman Kang
“As a father and as a man, I have failed.” – Chairman Kang
“Because of a man like me, you ended up dead.” – Chairman Kang
“What’s so hard about feeding my sweet boy? It’s what brings me joy.” – Heo Ok Sun
“Dad. Why did you leave so soon without even letting your youngest daughter treat you to a bowl of soup? I wanted you to pour me a glass of soju. You never even once looked at my face with affection. You never even spoke to me first.” – Kang Bang Geul
“Once an outcast, always an outcast. I’ll remove this lifelong burden from your lives, so you can all enjoy living miserably in this house.” – Kang Bang Geul
“That’s right. Trust me. Let’s hit rock bottom together.” – Chairman Kang
Episodes 10-11
“True or not, no soldiers will follow a general who’s lost their trust. Isn’t knowing when to jump ship a skill in itself?” – Team Leader Hwang
“The first betrayal is the hardest. The next ones are a piece of cake, you know?” – Kang Jae Seong
“It’s because I feel so sorry for him. That there were people who cared for my dad. That his life wasn’t a lonely departure at all.” – Kang Bang Geul
“But don’t be a bad person. Getting blood on your hands, being cruel. This thing called revenge. It will destroy you, too.” – Team Leader Hwang
“No father in this world would want his daughter to be ruined because of him. Not a single one.” – Team Leader Hwang
“No matter what expensive clothes you wear or what fancy title you have, your rotten nature never changes.” – Team Leader Hwang
“Don’t you recognize me? It’s me. Kang Yong Ho. The man you killed.” – Team Leader Hwang
“You should be happy. Your dead father has come back from the grave.” – Chairman Kang
Episode 12
“I’m here to be compensated for the life you ruined. And for the record, I don’t compromise.” – Team Leader Hwang
“Do you know why I named you Bang Geul? You didn’t even cry when you were born. You’d just beam at me whenever we made eye contact. You were always smiling.” – Chairman Kang
“Because of my greed, I think I made you so lonely, Jae Gyeong. Let’s go back together. It’s not too late.” – Chairman Kang
“If you’re really sorry, then stay dead, father.” – Kang Jae Gyeong
“It’s time to stop playing chairwoman, Jae Gyeong.” – Chairman Kang
“A company where the employees are the owners. A place where you earn what you’re worth. The lifelong career you’ve only heard about in stories. If you want it, Choiseong will make it happen.” – Kang Bang Geul
Genre: Office, Fantasy
Also known as: The New Employee Chairman Kang
Synopsis: A powerful chairman swaps soul with a young soccer player after an accident. It is based on the web novel, The New Employee Chairman Kang, by San Kyung.
No. of episodes: 12
Cast: Lee Jun Young, Son Hyun Joo, Lee Ju Myoung, Jeon Hye Jin
Screenwriter: Hyun Jimin
Director: Go Hye Jin
Network: JTBC
Streaming platform: VIU
Date: May 30, 2026
English subtitle translation: VIU
Images: JTBC
KORB 