As the power struggles within the Choiseong Group intensify in Reborn Rookie Episode 3. Chairman Kang Yong-ho’s contentious succession plan shakes the company. As allegiances change and secret financial misdeeds are exposed, Bang-geul is caught between family loyalty and justice.# The Fight for Choiseong’s Future Starts
The episode begins with the reaction of executives and employees to Yong-ho’s shocking announcement that the next chairman will be chosen based on merit, not blood. As you would expect, the decision sent shock waves through the Kang family.
Jae-gyeong immediately asks Bang-geul what she is doing back home now that the race for succession has officially started. Meanwhile, Jae-seong is taken aback when Yong-ho mentions Yujin Networks, IB Global and Hwain Dynamics during a company presentation.
It’s no coincidence that these companies are mentioned. They are linked to Jae-seong’s secret offshore dealings, and the threat of being exposed forces him to retreat before Yong-ho instead of confronting him.## Bang-geul outwits her siblings
Bang-geul meets her twin half-siblings and the tension rises. She puts on a show that she is harmless and wants to be back with her family. She convinces them that she has no interest in running for chairman.
Jae-gyeong agrees to let Bang-geul go home, but only after forcing her to hand over the real estate properties their father bought in Bang-geul’s name. Bang-geul signs everything away without resistance, leading her siblings to believe they have successfully neutralized her.
But behind closed doors, the twins revel in what they see as a strategic win, revealing their long-standing resentment of their stepmother, Seon-hee. Their actions are still shaped by their scorn for those they see as social inferiors.# Bang-geul and Yong-ho’s Uncomfortable Partnership
As Bang-geul begins to gather information throughout the company, she discreetly builds relationships with lower-level employees and support staff. They give us a glimpse of what the twins were up to behind the scenes.
When she catches Yong-ho in the act of secretly removing cash and gold bars from the chairman’s vault, her investigation takes an unexpected turn.
Yong-ho claims that he is not stealing but reclaiming assets that Jae-seong and Jae-gyeong illegally diverted when challenged. He also reveals what he thinks are the twins’ involvement in the hit-and-run case that changed everything.
Bang-geul does not blindly trust him, but when he suggests teaming up to bring the corruption in the family to light, she finds herself becoming more and more intrigued by his plan.# Inside the Materials Division Chaos
As the family drama plays out, Yong-ho shifts his focus to examine the inner workings of Choiseong.
He is determined to break the sales department’s monopoly and forces Materials Team Manager Bong-ki to stop tolerating abuse from senior executives. A sales employee insults Bong-ki openly, and Yong-ho orders him to make a formal report on the misconduct.
Eventually the complaint makes its way up the chain of command where Yong-ho can cleverly reframe the issue as a potential corporate fraud investigation. His argument persuades the leadership to act even with Jae-seong heading the sales division.
Shortly afterwards Bong-ki breaks under the strain and falls unconscious. Bang-geul, who is recovering, said Bong-ki was a respected auditor until he was demoted to protect Jae-seong’s illegal business activities.# Family reunion shows Yong-ho’s humanity
Outside the corporate world, Yong-ho hears some surprising news regarding Jun-hyeon’s grandmother, Ok-sun.
Ok-sun travels to Seoul to find her grandson, and at last meets “Jun-hyeon” at a bus terminal. At first she does not recognize him, and only realises it is him when he changes into clothes that she links with her grandson.
This emotional encounter shows the increasing complications of Yong-ho’s strange situation. Yet, while being moved by the love between the grandmother and grandson, the reunion also serves to remind her of the emotional neglect she experienced at the hands of her own father.## The Slush Fund Investigation Explodes
The biggest development of the episode comes when Yong-ho, Bang-geul, Bong-ki and the Materials Team begin audits into Yujin Networks, IB Global and Hwain Dynamics.
Auditors check the companies Yong-ho and Bang-geul follow Director Song secretly. Their surveillance reveals a bombshell: Director Song is working directly with Na Byung-mo, Jae-seong’s powerful father-in-law.
The discovery reveals a corruption network larger than previously thought.
But as the pressure mounts, Jae-seong knows something is terribly wrong. Director Song disappears, the slush fund accounts are emptied, and suddenly communication stops.
Fearful of discovery, Byung-mo takes drastic action. Having accessed the hidden funds, he tries to kill Director Song to eliminate all evidence of his involvement in the operation.
Fortunately Yong-ho intervenes in time. A bomb placed in Director Song’s car failed to explode and he escaped. Before he disappears, Director Song transfers a large sum of the recovered money to Yong-ho.
With the success of the operation, Bang-geul finally believes that Yong-ho is really trying to bring down her corrupt siblings.Review: Episode 3
Episode 3 is one of the best episodes of Reborn Rookie so far, mainly because the corporate conspiracy is finally starting to move at a faster pace.
The biggest problem is still the rookie employee, Jun-hyeon, from Yong-ho’s. Though technically an intern, he still functions with the confidence and expertise of a seasoned executive. His great business acumen is sometimes hard to believe but no one is particularly suspicious of it.
And Jae-seong is still up to some stupid stuff. His inability to defend his own financial empire makes him appear far less dangerous than the series initially suggested. Na Byung-mo is a more threatening villain who is willing to kill anyone who threatens his interests.
Bang-geul remains the show’s most interesting character. Her distrust of Yong-ho seems justified, but the evidence pushes her further and further toward an alliance with him. As the twins’ secrets slowly unravel, she appears to be positioning herself as the strongest contender to take over Choiseong Group.
The episode ends with the lines of battle clearly drawn, setting up an explosive confrontation between Yong-ho, Bang-geul, the Kang twins and the increasingly dangerous Byung-mo in the episodes to come.