The spirit of a powerful chairman has entered the body of a young football player in JTBC's new weekend drama Chairman Kang: The New Employee.
The first episode, broadcast on May 30, introduces Choi Sung Group chairman Kang Yong-ho, played by Son Hyun-joo, and footballer Hwang Jun-hyun, played by Lee Jun-young. A collision eventually swaps their souls. The premiere recorded a nationwide rating of 3.7 percent, according to Nielsen Korea.
Kang announces his retirement and orders his daughter Kang Jae-kyung and son Kang Jae-sung to compete for succession. While secretly following their father, the siblings are involved in a hit-and-run that seriously damages Hwang's football career.
Hwang traces the vehicle to Kang and confronts him. The chairman suspects his children but initially offers compensation. Hwang refuses to accept money as a solution, and Kang later tells his children that neither will inherit control of the company.
During a struggle, Kang falls and collides with Hwang, who has returned to the scene. Kang wakes in hospital inside Hwang's body. News reports identify him as a suspect in the earlier hit-and-run, and recordings of his children's confessions deepen his sense of betrayal.
Adapted from a web novel, the drama follows a conglomerate chairman forced to navigate life as an obscure athlete. Its fast-moving premise and performances by Son Hyun-joo and Lee Jun-young position the story as a fantasy office adventure built around power, identity and second chances.
