Reborn Rich Review: A Masterpiece Undone by Its Ending

The show opens with our (kind of) male lead, Yoon Hyun Woo, signing documents to deposit $700 million into his account. To figure out how we got here, we jump back a week earlier. Hyun Woo works for the Soonyang Group — one of Korea’s most powerful and successful conglomerates. He’s the senior manager of the Future Assets Management Department and has been the chairman’s most trusted employee for over five years. We see some of Hyun Woo’s role when Jin Sung Joon — the eldest grandson and son of chairman Jin Young Ki — goes missing. Hyun Woo tracks him down mid-tantrum and gets a golf club to the head and tea (I assume) poured over him. Casual workplace abuse.

Later, we meet Prosecutor Seo Min Young, who’s determined to prove the Soonyang family guilty of misconduct. She gets a warrant to search Hyun Woo’s office, but the family’s already one step ahead. Hyun Woo and his team are ordered to destroy all incriminating evidence. While doing so, Hyun Woo discovers a paper company used as a slush fund to funnel massive amounts of money into an overseas account. He reports it to Sung Joon, who sends him to retrieve the money, launder it, and recover the siphoned assets. Suddenly, that opening scene makes sense.

But as Hyun Woo leaves the bank, he’s captured and dragged to the edge of a cliff. They tell him someone who needed the money is behind this — and then shoot him in the head. He falls into the water below.

Then things get weird.

Hyun Woo wakes up in the body of (I think) 12 year old Jin Do Jun — the youngest grandson of the Soonyang family and also the main character of the show. It’s 1987, and the founder of Soonyang, Jin Yang Cheol, is still alive. Hyun Woo struggles to grasp what’s happening, especially since Do Jun died years ago in his original timeline. He and his new family arrive at the grandfather’s house, only to be immediately outcast. Do Jun’s father chose his own career and wife over his father’s expectations, so the entire branch of the family is treated like outsiders. Do Jun remembers reading his grandfather’s autobiography in his past life — and realizes everything is unfolding exactly as it did before.

Quick note: Do Jun’s real self is never shown in the drama, so when I say “Do Jun,” I mean Hyun Woo in his body. And when I say “Hyun Woo,” I mean Hyun Woo as himself.

The next day, Do Jun overhears the family debating which presidential candidate to back in the upcoming election. He decides to put his future knowledge to work and earn some points with his grandfather. He tells Chairman Jin to support Roh Tae Woo and when he turns out to be right, the chairman takes notice. He decides to test Do Jun by asking him about his business. Later that night, Do Jun remembers that the flight his grandfather plans to take is destined to crash due to a terror attack — something that happened in his previous life. He convinces his grandfather to change his flight, saving his life and earning his trust in the process.

For passing the test, Do Jun asks for a plot of land, which his grandfather buys for him. He also strikes a deal to do something no one else in the family has achieved — get accepted into Seoul National University’s law school. In exchange, he asks to be officially acknowledged as his grandson and for his immediate family to be welcomed back into the fold. The chairman agrees, and years later Do Jun is admitted into law school. We soon see what becomes of that “useless” land — it turns out to be the foundation of the new city of Bundang, earning him a fortune of 24 million dollars. He converts it all into U.S. currency, leaving his grandfather both impressed and suspicious.

Later, Do Jun travels to New York for Film Week with his brother and father, where he meets Oh Se Hyeon, an investor whose confidence and intelligence immediately intrigues him. The two strike up a connection that will prove very important later.

Back in Korea, Chairman Jin orders his eldest son, Jin Young Ki, to acquire a struggling company called Hando Steel, but not to spend more than 300 million dollars doing so. That plan quickly collapses when an overseas firm offers 500 million for it. That firm’s representative? None other than Oh Se Hyeon. While Young Ki and his team scramble to uncover Se Hyeon’s real motive, Chairman Jin senses that the move is part of a larger strategy by someone who doesn’t want Soonyang to win the bid. And, of course, he’s right.

Se Hyeon meets with Do Jun, who makes his intentions clear: he’s not trying to buy Hando Steel to compete — he’s using it as the first step toward taking over Soonyang itself. And just like that, the game begins.

Chairman Jin’s second son, Jin Dong Ki, becomes suspicious that Do Jun and Se Hyeon are working together and argues that Soonyang must acquire Hando Steel. But Do Jun stands firm, explaining that it would be better for Power Shares (Se Hyeon’s firm) to win instead of Soonyang’s biggest rival, Daeyoung, who soon joins the bidding war with a 600 million dollar offer. Eventually, we learn how Do Jun actually spent his money — by investing in a movie. The chairman thinks he’s wasting his fortune… until it’s revealed that the film is Titanic.

Time passes and Chairman Jin listens to a recording of Do Jun and Se Hyeon arguing over Do Jun’s recklessness — ending their partnership on a sour note. Se Hyeon is brought in for questioning and explains that Power Shares Korea is funded by Do Jun’s money, but Do Jun invested in a book company called Cadabra (Amazon’s old name) instead of Hando Steel. This clears Chairman Jin’s suspicions of Do Jun — for now — and shifts his attention to his younger son, Dong Ki. Turns out Dong Ki secretly funded Daeyoung Group, betraying his brother in the process. Eventually, with help from his sister, Young Ki wins the bidding war by paying $750 million. Which took everything. 

But plot twist: it was all part of Do Jun’s plan.

Over drinks, Se Hyeon and Do Jun reveal the truth. Do Jun knew his driver was Dong Ki’s spy and used that to his advantage. He discovered the listening device, faked the partnership fallout, and manipulated Dong Ki into panicking — which led Young Ki to overspend. Do Jun never wanted Hando Steel. He wanted Soonyang Group to go into debt.

Then comes the next blow: the IMF crisis.

While Chairman Jin and the rest of the family scramble to stay afloat, Do Jun is already ten steps ahead. He’s been preparing for this moment and, as the man with the most U.S. dollars in Korea, he opens Miracle Investment with Se Hyeon.

Meanwhile, Jin Sung Joon — Young Ki’s son — returns to Korea and meets Mo Hyeon Min, who has zero interest in marrying him. More on that chaos later.

Time moves forward, and Do Jun decides it’s finally time to tell his grandfather the truth: he’s the majority shareholder of Miracle Investment, the very company that’s been complicating Soonyang’s every move. The revelation stuns Chairman Jin, who immediately assumes Do Jun’s goal is succession. Do Jun quickly denies it and confidently declares that he’ll buy Soonyang outright with his own money. He challenges the family’s long-held tradition, arguing that leadership shouldn’t be inherited by the eldest simply because of birth order.

A new battle brews between Do Jun and Chairman Jin over the New Seoul Town project. Do Jun pulls strings and gets his uncle, Chang Je, appointed mayor — securing the rights to the project. But Chairman Jin isn’t done. He uses his connections to block Do Jun from broadcasting on any major station. Luckily, Do Jun’s father steps in and agrees to buy DMC, helping Do Jun move forward with his plans.

Meanwhile, Min Yeon finally agrees to marry Sung Joon, and the family prepares for the wedding. But things take a turn when Chairman Jin is diagnosed with a chronic arteriovenous brain malformation. On the wedding day, everyone assumes his gift to Sung Joon will be the Soonyang succession. Everyone except Young Ki is furious. But in a twist, Chairman Jin sends Sung Joon to work at the Geochang distribution warehouse — a demotion for failing to secure the New Seoul Town project. He also announces that Soonyang will no longer follow primogeniture. Suddenly, all the siblings perk up.

Later, due to IMF regulations, the Jin siblings must buy out the previous owners of Soonyang’s subsidiaries to take full control. First up is Hwa Young — the only daughter in the family. She humiliates Do Jun’s mother to put him in his place, and Do Jun is not having it. In a flashback to Hyun Woo’s life, Do Jun remembers a golden investment opportunity: New Data Technology.

Hwa Young needs $400 million to complete her acquisition, leaving her desperate enough to turn to Se Hyeon for help. He agrees, but only in exchange for a 30% stake in Soonyang Department Store as collateral. Out of options, she accepts. Se Hyeon also tells her about New Data Technology, and she takes the bait. Later, Do Jun visits her and insists the company’s value will soon soar to $300 a share, pushing her to invest $140 million of company funds—illegally. She falls straight into Do Jun’s trap.

Hwa Young continues to invest in New Data Technology and, as expected, the company collapses when its owner is arrested for accounting fraud. She loses everything. Do Jun tells Prosecutor Min Young (yes, the one from the beginning) to investigate Hwa Young for embezzling company funds. Min Young finds evidence of possible money laundering, and Hwa Young spirals. No one will help her. Even Se Hyeon only agrees to step in if she sells all her shares to Miracle Investment. With no way out, Hwa Young hands over her shares to Miracle Investment. Do Jun wins again.

Chairman Jin then decides to form the Soonyang Financial Holding Company. Dong Ki, aware of his father’s declining health, believes it’s a setup to determine the next Soonyang successor. He assumes whoever controls the financial arm will eventually control the entire group. Soon after, an article accuses Miracle Investment of insider trading for selling off their New Data Technology shares right before the collapse. Min Young is sent to investigate, and anxious investors start demanding their money back. Seizing the moment, Dong Ki suggests Soonyang Investment buy out Miracle Investment, knowing Do Jun doesn’t have the $480 million required to repay investors. But Do Jun instructs Se Hyeon to pull out their investments in the American stock market. What’s he cooking?

Dong Ki, celebrating early, copies Do Jun’s portfolio and invests in the same American stocks. The very next day, 9/11 happens. The market crashes. And the companies Dong Ki invested in — especially transportation — take massive losses. He scrambles to protect himself with options, hoping to survive the fallout.

Meanwhile, Do Jun sends donations to the victims and buys blue-chip stocks instead of options. He’s not just protecting his assets — he’s trying to shift the market flow. His plan works. Miracle Investment floods the market with over $90 billion. Dong Ki’s been played. And just as the dust settles, Do Jun walks in and offers to buy Soonyang Investment. Dong Ki has no choice but to hand it over. Do Jun is on a roll.

Chairman Jin hears about it and takes Do Jun for a drive. He tells him how ruthless he’s become — and finally declares that he’ll leave Soonyang Financial Group to Do Jun. But just as he says it, a car crashes into them. A truck speeds toward the wreck. All we hear is impact while Do Jun reflects: some things are meant to happen — and they always find a way.

Good news: nobody died! Do Jun escapes with minor injuries, and Chairman Jin is in a coma — or so everyone thinks. Turns out, just as the truck came barreling toward them, Do Jun’s driver (in a separate car) swerved in front and took most of the impact. Later, they find the car’s information in the truck driver’s pocket. This wasn’t an accident.

Do Jun starts investigating, while we learn that Chairman Jin isn’t actually in a coma — he’s faking it to see how his children will react. Do Jun tells his grandfather about the attempted murder, and Chairman Jin decides to crash the meeting and force a vote. Do Jun later tells Se Hyeon that once he’s in charge of Soonyang Financial Holding, Se Hyeon will take over Soonyang Investment. 

Do Jun’s bodyguards continue investigating and find an office linked to the truck driver’s friend and a painting. Min Young questions Hyeon Min, who owns a gallery, about it. Hyeon Min claims the painting was stolen, but Min Young reveals it was used as payment in the attempted murder. Hyeon Min confronts Sung Joon, who may have stolen the painting and orchestrated the crash.

Chairman Jin’s mental state begins to decline. He cries, says he’s scared, and eventually forgets who Do Jun is. The doctor confirms he’s experiencing delirium due to brain bleeding from the accident. With the board vote approaching and Sung Joon having secured most of the members, Do Jun flips the script — he convinces Sung Joon to vote in favor of the financial company. When the meeting begins, Chairman Jin makes a surprise appearance and officially appoints Do Jun as the CEO of Soonyang Financial Holding Company.

Afterward, Hyeon Min tells Min Young about Sim Gallery — a place that may have housed the painting and has ties to Chairman Jin’s wife. Back at the hospital, the chairman’s wife admits to being involved in the accident. But when she realizes her husband is mentally unwell, she flips the narrative. She takes him home and prepares to tell the family that his judgment is no longer valid. But Do Jun is one step ahead. He tells her he knows she was involved — and if she wants to avoid jail, she needs to keep the chairman’s condition a secret.

Time passes, and Chairman Jin passes away. Shockingly, Do Jun receives nothing in the will. The reason? We’ll get to that. Meanwhile, the chairman’s wife holds 17% of Soonyang Insurance and offers it to whoever takes the best care of the family. But when Min Young uncovers evidence of her involvement in the accident, she goes to Do Jun. He agrees to help — if she hands over her shares and disappears.

And just like that, Do Jun gains control of 17% of Soonyang Insurance, and the chairman’s wife quietly disappears on an outbound flight.

The final meeting arrives, and Do Jun is set to become the next CEO of Soonyang. But Sung Joon isn’t done. He leaks a message claiming Do Jun yelled at Chairman Jin for leaving him out of the will and that the stress is what killed him. To make things worse, it’s revealed that Do Jun asked the chairman’s assistant to delete the footage of the chairman’s last moments. Though he did it to protect the chairman’s dignity, the timing couldn’t have been worse. The board votes in the assistant as CEO. Right after, Sung Joon threatens the assistant and forces him to step down.

Eventually, we learn why Chairman Jin left Do Jun out of the will. It wasn’t punishment — it was a test. He believed Do Jun pitied him, and he wanted to push him to the edge so he’d finally care enough to fight for Soonyang. He even admits that Do Jun is the one who takes after him the most.

Meanwhile, Dong Ki starts making moves to make Soonyang Investment independent. He offers to buy Soonyang Card from Do Jun (At this point, what subsidiary does Do Jun not have?), who asks for $1.6 billion and 2% of Soonyang Corporation as collateral. Dong Ki agrees and starts gathering the funds. But things quickly go south. Credit card defaults are rising, and Soonyang Card is bleeding money. Young Ki swoops in and offers to buy the bond — the 2% — from Dong Ki, giving Do Jun the $1.6 billion.

At Chairman Jin’s one-year memorial, Do Jun reveals the truth. The 2% was never the real goal — it was bait. By manipulating both brothers, he managed to regain control of Soonyang Card and quietly become the largest shareholder of Soonyang Corporation. His long game finally pays off. But before he can enjoy his victory, he’s suddenly arrested for allegedly transferring money to a political candidate. Still, he’s one step ahead.

Min Young reviews CCTV footage from Miracle Investment’s basement and discovers that Dong Ki is behind the setup. She starts to wonder — was Do Jun framed, or did he orchestrate the whole thing to expose the Jin family’s corruption?

Thanks to Do Jun’s arrest, investigators are able to dig into both Dong Ki and Young Ki’s slush funds. The public is furious. The Jin family scrambles to contain the damage. Sung Joon convinces his father to take the fall and transfer his shares to him. Meanwhile, Do Jun donates 700 million dollars to support struggling citizens, regaining public trust and restoring his image. The shareholders rally behind him, finally appointing him as the new chairman of the Soonyang Group. For a brief moment, everything seems to have come full circle. Do Jun has achieved what once felt impossible. But as this story has proven time and time again, peace never lasts for long.

On his way to the history museum, a car blocks the road while the driver steps away to take a call. Do Jun decides to wait — but before he can react, a truck comes speeding from behind and crashes into them. Why? Because, as Do Jun says, some things can’t be avoided. Just as he died in Hyun Woo’s life, he has to die in this one too. Moments before he passes out, we see Hyun Woo walking toward the car. He’s one of the drivers.

Cut to: Do Jun waking up in a hospital surrounded by foreign doctors and nurses. Min Young walks in and tells him she saved him. He’s not Do Jun — he’s Hyun Woo. The whole thing was a dream. (Don’t even get me started.)

Min Young wants him to testify so he returns to Korea and is immediately accused of embezzling the $700 million he was originally sent to retrieve. So he runs. He finds out he was shot because someone needed the slush fund to stay hidden, and now he’s determined to prove he inherited the funds legally. Realizing he’s still being hunted, he sends Min Young the slush fund details so she can go after Soonyang herself.

Eventually, the embezzlement charges are dropped due to lack of evidence — but Hyun Woo isn’t done. He realizes that while he was in a coma for a week, he lived as Do Jun for 17 years. Was it a dream? Or something more? He visits Se Hyeon and recruits him to help take down the Soonyang family’s management rights. Se Hyeon agrees because Hyun Woo reminds him too much of Do Jun.

Meanwhile, Min Young gets a hearing scheduled at the National Assembly to investigate Sung Joon’s illegal succession. During the hearing, Hyun Woo appears as a witness and explains how he was shot — believing Sung Joon was behind it. He also claims he was there when Do Jun was killed and blames Young Ki. His proof? A recorded phone call with Young Ki and his assistant discussing the incident.

The fallout is immediate. The entire Soonyang family steps down from management.

The show ends with Hyun Woo taking over Soonyang Group’s management rights — and keeping the $700 million. He partners with Miracle Investment, and in the final scene, Min Young experiences a déjà vu moment. Because even though he’s Hyun Woo… he still feels like Do Jun.

The End.