'New Employee Kang (Chairman)' Son Hyun-joo in code blue; Lee Jun-young faints.. Ratings hit 11%, a series high

*This content was translated by AI.

A dark aura of death looms over the fates of Lee Jun-young and Son Hyun-joo in 'New Employee Kang (Chairman)'.

According to ratings survey firm Nielsen Korea, the JTBC Saturday-Sunday drama 'New Employee Kang (Chairman)' (created by Kim Soon-ok, scripted by Hyun Jimin, directed by Ko Hye-jin), which aired on the 21st, recorded a paid household viewership of 10.9% in the Seoul metropolitan area and 11% nationwide for its eighth episode, setting a new series record. Viewership among the 2049 male and female target demographic also reached 3.1% in the Seoul metropolitan area and 3.6% nationwide, ranking first among all programs aired on Sunday. The peak per-minute viewership for paid households surpassed 12%, while the 2049 male and female target viewership nationwide climbed to 4.0%.

On this episode, Kang Jae-kyung coaxed a member of the audit team to secure documents related to slush funds managed by Kang Jae-sung (played by Jin Goo), then handed them over to the police, pushing Kang Jae-sung to the brink. She then revealed her uncontrollable, surging desire to Hwang Jun-hyun and Kang Bang-eul (played by Lee Ju-myung), who had come to see her, stating that everything happened because the two had provoked her.

Thereafter, Kang Jae-kyung's sharpened blade turned toward various parts of the Choi Sung Group. When Lee Sang-jae (played by Kim Jong-tae), executive vice president of the Strategic Planning Division at Choi Sung Group, attempted to recover documents related to slush funds at Choi Sung Chemical, Kang Jae-kyung framed him as a villain seeking the chairman's position through evidence tampering. She also offloaded a large-scale restructuring plan for the normalization of Choi Sung Trading onto the Strategic Planning Team, forcing Hwang Jun-hyun, Kang Bang-eul, and Park Bong-gi to become unwilling executioners.

Amid a comprehensive crisis, the once-solid Strategic Planning Team finally began to fracture. This was because Hwang Jun-hyun, viewing the situation through the eyes of a manager who must save the company, clashed with Kang Bang-eul and Park Bong-gi, who prioritized the employees. While Hwang Jun-hyun insisted that restructuring was inevitable and presented a judgment befitting a company leader, Kang Bang-eul and Park Bong-gi strongly opposed the plan, arguing they could not abandon the employees they had worked with overnight.

Ultimately, as Hwang Jun-hyun reviewed personnel documents alone and proceeded with restructuring, he noticed suspicious circumstances indicating that key personnel from the Hydrogen Business Division were included on the list. Through persistent investigation, he discovered that Kang Jae-kyung's true intention was to hand over the entire Hydrogen Business Division of Choi Sung Trading to Taeha Group. As he had predicted, Kang Jae-kyung not only led key personnel to transfer to Taeha Group but also sold off the business rights, further exacerbating the chaos.

Kang Jae-kyung's move to push through restructuring to normalize Choi Sung Trading while simultaneously selling off the business division was difficult to justify. In response, Hwang Jun-hyun questioned Kang Jae-kyung about her reasons. Kang Jae-kyung then mentioned that a hydrogen business project she had previously promoted had been transferred to Kang Jae-sung due to Kang Yong-ho (Chairman)'s decision, expressing long-held resentment toward her father.

Realizing that she had sown the seeds of conflict rocking the Choi Sung Group, Hwang Jun-hyun took an extreme measure, sacrificing his own reputation. He proposed a plan to Lee Sang-jae, Kang Bang-eul, and Park Bong-gi to attribute Kang Jae-sung's slush fund scandal to Kang Yong-ho (Chairman)'s orders. Although the three had initially opposed the plan out of concern for damaging Kang Yong-ho's reputation, they ultimately accepted it in the face of a reality with no other solution, unable to hide their bitterness.

Thus, Kang Yong-ho took on all the responsibility, and Kang Jae-sung returned to Choi Seong-mul-san (President). This seemed to put a brake on Kang Jae-kyung's solo rule, but a twist that defied expectations unfolded toward the end of the broadcast. After Kang Jae-kyung visited the hospital room where Kang Yong-ho (Chairman) was admitted, a code blue broadcast announcing the patient's critical condition echoed through the hospital, and shortly thereafter, news of Kang Yong-ho (Chairman)'s death was reported as a breaking story.

Moreover, at the same time, Hwang Jun-hyun, who was at the Strategic Planning Team's dinner gathering, complained of severe headaches and collapsed, doubling the shock. Questions are rising as to what Kang Jae-kyung did to Kang Yong-ho (Chairman), and whether the well-being of Hwang Jun-hyun, who suddenly fainted, is secure.

Meanwhile, the ninth episode of 'New Employee Kang (Chairman)' will air at 10:40 p.m. on the 27th.

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*This content was translated by AI.