In the finale episodes of “Reborn Rich,” we finally get the answers we have been looking for. But before we get to that, allow us to admit that we may not have been entirely right when we said that we hadn’t gotten to witness Do Jun’s business skills without his knowledge of the future. It occurred to us that all of his know-how was simply a tool, like any other. His real skill had been framing the narratives around it, which allowed him to get to where he was. Throughout “Reborn Rich” Season 1, he exhibited an uncanny understanding of the human emotions of greed and grief, along with a strategic mind that belongs in its own hall of fame. We are sold on his character; however, our complaints remain with the actor, Song Joong Ki. Don’t get us wrong, he executed the role to perfection. We expect nothing less from a Virgo, but our opinion that he lacks diversity in his roles is not changing. We really felt like we were watching another Vincenzo Cassano when we watched Do Jun in action. As his ardent fan, the days when he would do “Space Sweepers” or “Penny Pinchers” feel a little too far away. Song Joong Ki is perfect as the “perfect guy,” but he is beyond excellent as the “less than perfect guy,” and we just want to see him in that avatar once. For now, without much ado, let us get into the finale episodes of “Reborn Rich” Season 1.
Spoilers Ahead
Everything Leading Up To Do Jun’s Accident
Picking up from last week’s episodes of “Reborn Rich,” Do Jun makes the decision to buy Soonyang and Daeyoung Card while they are busy playing a blame game with the Government. The money he has made from fielding his uncles helps him make the acquisition. This also makes him the majority shareholder of the Soonyang Group. Please don’t ask us for more details; we don’t have an MBA. All we have realized is that Do Jun is winning big. While he is doing that, the strife in the family continues. Son Jung Dae and Yoo Ji Na, the daughters-in-law of the Jin family, are at loggerheads.
Meanwhile, Chang Je has announced that politics and the economy should be separate, and hence, the campaign funds given by businessmen to the ones contesting elections are going to be investigated. But Soonyang is a major investor, which puts them in the line of fire. Looking at the situation, Dong Ki plays a game, as he is not one to give up easily. He frames Do Jun for some of the illegal campaign funds given to the opposition party. Min Yeong is forced to arrest him, though it is not due to the presence of evidence but more as a precautionary measure. It is at that time that Ha In Seok proves his loyalty to Do Jun. He tells the prosecutors that this was all a trap laid by Dong Ki, who is then called in for questioning. His wife, Ji Na, goes to the family for their help, but they all decline, as they are happy to have one less thorn in their side. Infuriated, she leaks the information that Soonyang has borrowed money from loan sharks to buy the shares that helped Jin Young Ki become the Chairman. This is a piece of information that Jung Dae accidentally let slip while she was verbally sparring with her sister-in-law.
Looking at the situation, Seong Jun tells his father that he has always thought of him as weak and incapable, and he had to pretend very hard not to let that emotion show in front of his grandfather. This sets the tone for the relationship between the father and son for the rest of their lives. He and the board want Seong Jun to take responsibility for the aversion of inheritance taxes. But the eldest grandson of Jin Yang Cheol plots something else with his wife. In front of the media, he announces that it is his father who is responsible for everything. Either way, the reputation of Soonyang is shot but Do Jun saves the day by making a 700-million-won donation, which is the entirety of his inheritance. Seeing that he is responsible for turning public sentiment in favor of the company, it is decided that he will be the next Chairman of the Soonyang Corporation. He has fulfilled his promise to buy Soonyang. But right before his inauguration ceremony, he gets into an accident. As the life is slipping out of him, he sees himself as Yoon Hyeon Woo, looking at him and realizing that his time as Do Jun is up. When he wakes up next, he is back to his life as Yoon Hyeon Woo, which is how we will be referring to him now. He has survived the accident, and in this timeline, it has been a week since then. He meets Min Young, who is the one to rescue him. As Do Jun, right before his accident, he had told her that they would get married and have a life together. Seeing her now, all these years later, she is a stranger to him once again. Either way, her investigation of Soonyang has brought her to Hyeon Woo. They both go back to Korea, where he is sought to be arrested for the embezzlement of 600 million won. But before anything can happen, he escapes. He makes his way to Mr. Kim, the manager who was fired because of him, but he too proves to be of no help. However, he records their conversation and takes it to the prosecutor.
Additionally, since the prosecutor in charge of the case changes to Min Young, she lifts the AVP on him and tells him that he need not turn himself in, though the investigation will continue. It is a silver lining, but Hyeon Woo’s life has been upended twice now. When he goes back home, his next move is to track down Mason Oh, who has sold all of his Soonyang shares a decade ago and now lives a solitary life. Hyeon Woo approaches him and tells him that there is a way to make things right again. They make a plan to gather the minority shareholders who have been affected by Soonyang’s unfair practices. With this in place, Min Young pulls some strings, specifically with Change Je, and asks him to hold a meeting in the National Assembly to show Soonyang that the country is going to hold them accountable for their actions.
With the pieces in motion, we also become aware that Do Jun’s parents have been separated since his death, as his mother blames his father for not protecting her son and joining hands with the family once again. Also, everybody suspects Seong Jun to have caused the accident of Do Jun. But the reality is that it is his father, and he has planted fake evidence that indicates his son is the culprit. He has been holding it over his son’s head for all these years, but Seong Jun is finally on the brink of independence. At the hearing, Hyeon Woo tells everyone that he suspects Seong Jun to be the orchestrator of his accident. As a witness, Ha In Seok is produced by Do Jun’s father. Turns out, he has just been biding his time to take his revenge. But In Seok talks about the accident from 20 years ago, and he recognizes Hyeon Woo from there. However, his delirium kicks in, and he starts addressing Hyeon Woo as Do Jun. His testimony cannot be given validity due to his unstable mental health.
‘Reborn Rich’ Ending Explained: Who Killed Do Jun? What Happens To Hyeon Woo?
Hyeon Woo is not going to give up after all this time. He remembers that he had been present at the scene of the accident of Do Jun and had been used as bait for it. He had been blackmailed by Mr. Kim that unless he kept his silence, things would not work out for him. All these years, he had carried the guilt of that, though the memory of it was not present when he was Do Jun. To his credit, he had recorded that conversation and kept it carefully hidden. He produced it in the Assembly, effectively proving that Mr. Kim and Jin Young Ki were responsible for killing Do Jun.
The next question is obviously whether Seong Jun was aware of his father’s actions. When confronted with it, he loses his cool with Hyeon Woo and screams at him for going against Soonyang. With all the truths laid bare, the Jin family is forced to step down from the company and they transfer the management rights to a specialist, aka Hyeon Woo, who has rejoined Miracle Investment. As Mason Oh says, he won Soonyang without owning a single share. It is an act of revenge sweeter than the one he could have taken as Do Jun. As for the rest of the characters, Hyeon Min gets a divorce from Seong Jun, gaining back her freedom and finally being able to seek out a life where she could actually like someone. Do Jun’s parents reconcile and honor his memory. As for Min Young, she stops dressing up in all-black, as she has finally gotten justice for Do Jun. Hyeon Woo runs into her once again but stops himself just in time before asking her out. Let’s remember that he has lived through two lifetimes. The emotional exhaustion that must come with it is no joke. However, something he says reminds her of Do Jun, so there might be a possibility of them finding happiness with each other in the future. As for the effect of it all, Hyeon Woo’s family is much better off, as is the Korean economy, due to there being more stringent laws on inheritance taxes. A hunky dory ending for sure, and we hope Hyeon Woo finds a good therapist for himself.
Will There Be A Season 2?
Honestly, “Reborn Rich” was an excellent show, though we sincerely believe that Hyeon Woo should have gotten a bit more screen time. All that story for revenge and repentance and the person it was for was barely seen, and by that, we mean his journey as an individual in his own circumstances. Maybe that is what we will witness in “Reborn Rich” Season 2, if there is one, though it doesn’t seem likely as everything was tied up with neat little bows towards the end. But if there is one, it would be fun to see Hyeon Woo, who doesn’t come from money in this life and has no idea of the future, go against someone with generational wealth. He and Min Young deserve a proper love story as well. Song Joong Ki is playing it safe, but that is paying off as his dramas are turning out to be very bankable. However, our desire to see him experiment with his roles has not changed. Of course, we will watch anything he stars in, but knowing what he is capable of, we sincerely wish he expands his horizons. Until then, we will just go back to rewatching some of his older stuff.
