‘New Employee Chairman Kang’ Shows Strong Momentum as Episode 2 Ratings Surge

JTBC’s Saturday-Sunday drama “New Employee Chairman Kang” is showing a steep rise in viewership just two episodes into its run.

The series began with its first episode recording 3.8 percent in the Seoul metropolitan area and 3.7 percent nationwide. By episode 2, both figures had climbed to 5.2 percent, signaling strong early momentum for the drama. The second episode’s highest minute-by-minute rating rose even further, reaching 5.8 percent.

The drama has also been gaining attention online. In the TV drama buzzworthiness rankings released by Good Data Corporation’s FUNdex, “New Employee Chairman Kang” remained within the top 10 for three consecutive weeks. After episodes 1 and 2 aired, it climbed as high as No. 4.

“New Employee Chairman Kang” is also receiving favorable responses for the performances of its cast, including Lee Jun-young as Hwang Jun-hyun, Lee Joo-myung as Kang Bang-geul, Jeon Hye-jin as Kang Jae-kyung, Jin Goo as Kang Jae-sung, and Son Hyun-joo as Kang Yong-ho.

The drama’s fast pace is another factor behind its strong reception. In episode 1, chairman Kang Yong-ho and soccer player Hwang Jun-hyun unexpectedly switched souls after a headbutt accident, setting up the story’s comic and dramatic hook. The tension rose further when Kang Jae-kyung, Chairman Kang’s daughter, and his son Kang Jae-sung, played by Jin Goo, showed a brazen turn by pinning the blame on their unconscious father, Kang Yong-ho, after Kang Jae-kyung hit Hwang Jun-hyun with a car and fled.

In episode 2, Hwang Jun-hyun, now carrying Kang Yong-ho’s soul, began his counterattack. After joining Choi Seong Group as an intern employee, Hwang Jun-hyun exposed Kang Jae-sung’s slush-fund channel during an intern presentation. He also created a stir by declaring the abolition of bloodline succession through a handwritten letter issued under Kang Yong-ho’s name.