Reborn Rookie episode 7 release date, plus the full schedule through the finale
A chaebol chairman waking up in a rookie employee's body shouldn't work this well — but JTBC's body-swap hit turned into the surprise K-drama of the summer, and its weekend release rhythm is easy to plan around. Here's exactly when episode 7 lands, plus every date through the end.
Episode 7 release date
Saturday, June 20, 2026, at 10:40 PM KST on JTBC. Episode 8 follows the next night, Sunday, June 21, at 10:30 PM KST — the show airs in weekend pairs. In South Korea, episodes stream on TVING shortly after broadcast; internationally, they're on Rakuten Viki and Viu with English subtitles, typically within hours.
The full schedule, premiere to finale
Reborn Rookie runs 12 episodes total, airing Saturdays and Sundays:
- Episodes 1–2 — May 30 and 31, 2026
- Episodes 3–4 — June 6 and 7, 2026
- Episodes 5–6 — June 13 and 14, 2026
- Episodes 7–8 — June 20 and 21, 2026
- Episodes 9–10 — June 27 and 28, 2026
- Episodes 11–12 (finale) — July 4 and 5, 2026
Each episode runs about 70 minutes.
What happens in episode 7?
The newly formed Strategic Planning Team — Jun-hyeon, Bang-geul, and Bong-gi — comes under fire inside Choi Sung Group. Kang Jae-kyung launches a smear campaign against Bang-geul using doctored photos on the company's internal board, painting her as an unqualified nepotism hire, while Executive Director Na Eun-se questions Jun-hyeon's motives.
The team fights back through a lithium supply play, baiting Jae-kyung's side with a leaked MOU tied to the Yulivia mine contract. Episode 8 then ends on the season's biggest gut-punch: breaking news of Chairman Kang Yong-ho's death — while his soul is still inside Jun-hyeon's body.
Why everyone's talking about this show
The numbers tell the story. The premiere opened at a modest 3.7% nationwide (Nielsen Korea), jumped to 5.2% by episode 2, and crossed into double digits with 11.0% for episode 8 — making it the week's top-rated cable program.
The finale on July 5 peaked the series at 13.6% nationwide, putting it among JTBC's ten highest-rated dramas ever. Lee Jun-young's dual performance — playing both the young employee and the 60-something chairman trapped inside him — is getting most of the credit, alongside veteran Son Hyun-joo as the original chairman.
It topped Viu in Indonesia, Thailand, and Malaysia in early June, and hit number one on TVING in Korea, Rakuten Viki in North America, and Lemino in Japan during its run.