Reborn Rich

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Synopsis

Yoon Hyeon Woo has worked for Soonyang conglomerate for a decade. He’s climbed the ladder despite his poor background. But he’s treated as the servant, who needs to clean up the family’s mess. One day, he’s asked to retrieve money and is killed by a member of the family. When he wakes up, he’s traveled back in time into the body of Jin Do Jun, the grandson of Soonyang Group’s Chairman. Hyeon Woo is given a second chance at life to take his revenge.

My Opinion (No Spoiler)

Yet another Song Joong Ki’s drama that doesn’t disappoint! I think all viewers agree on the fact that Reborn Rich is one of the best dramas of 2022 (viewership ratings were at +26% for the last episode, which is enormous when you think about it). The intrigue is extremely well-woven in characters’ development and South Korea’s transformation from the 1980s to the early 2000s. The reason behind Hyeon Woo’s time travel made a lot of sense for me, so I was quite satisfied with the ending and the plot in general. The drama focuses more on the destiny of one man, his story, his successes, his failures, rather than his romantic life. I really appreciated that point of view. Hyeon Woo is given a second chance to become the master of his fate, and he does it brilliantly. On top of that, the acting performance is amazing, there’s not a single person who doesn’t play his/her role with perfection. I was personally amazed by Lee Sung Min’s skills as Do Jun’s grandfather. He really wowed me. So, if you’re looking for an intelligent, suspenseful and full-of-twists drama, I highly recommend you watch this 2022 hit.

Analysis

• The world of conglomerates in South Korea
• Real businessmen
• A one man’s story in South Korean History
  Political, cultural and economic events in South Korea
  Political, cultural and economic events in the world featured in the drama
• The story of a revenge?

The world of conglomerates in South Korea: At the origin of Soonyang Group, there’s Chairman Jin Yang Cheol (Lee Sung Min). He spent his entire life building this conglomerate known as ‘chaebol’ in Korean. Chaebols are built on two main pillars: Owners and managers. In Reborn Rich, both entities converge in the person of the Chairman. Not only does he possess the majority of shares, but he also has the management rights. This allows him to make important business decisions, particularly in times of crisis. On top of that, Soonyang is led the same way as a kingdom. That is to say that the Jin family represents royals among which the first born inherits both the ownership and management of the company. That’s exactly why problems arise. Compared to the Chairman’s eldest son Jin Young Ki (Yoon Je Moon) and grandson Jin Seong Jun (Kim Nam Hee), Jin Do Jun (Song Joong Ki) turns out to be a better leader, smarter businessman, and more deserving successor. Though the Chairman is keen on keeping the primogeniture rule, he eventually bends and clears the way for his ‘favorite’ grandson. Indeed, being the legal first-born (let’s also mention that Do Jun is the son of the Chairman’s illegitimate fourth son) doesn’t mean that he has the shoulders to assume responsibilities. As proven by Young Ki, Dong Ki (Jo Han Chul) and Hwa Young (Kim Shin Rok), who can’t run a business without putting their interests and greed first. Hence, their numerous issues related to bankruptcy, debt, embezzlement, speculation, stock manipulation, etc… always giving Do Jun a greater opportunity to acquire their shares.

At the end of the drama, Jin Do Jun, now in his real body as Yoon Hyeon Woo, manages to get his revenge by stealing management rights from the family. If I had to compare, it’s like having a house without the keys. Jin family members will keep their shares and receive profit, but won’t be able to dispose of the company’s money as they please. For adults who’ve been used to play with green gold all their lives, this is probably the worst punishment. From heads of functions, they become puppets. The consequences are terrible for some of them. For example, Mo Hyeon Min (Park Ji Hyun) divorces Seong Jun, and leaves with their child. Indeed, the husband failed to keep his promise to make his own son inherit the entirety of the company.

The drama here emphasizes on meritocracy, showing that talent and hard work should prevail (and win) over status and birth privileges/rights. A message that is even more valid today.

Real businessmen: Chairman Jin Yang Cheol and Yoon Hyeon Woo (as Jin Do Jun) may not be blood-related, but they both share a great deal of similarities. They are shrewd businessmen, astute visionaries, and real capitalists. Though they see eye to eye on various topics (the importance of Soonyang Motors for example), they sometimes clash on values that are inherently linked with their background and personalities. The Chairman built his empire from the ground up, he’s experienced war, poverty, losing his company, and many others struggles of the era. Therefore, he doesn’t care about the means if the outcome is synonymous with success. Hence, his illegal practices (like his slush funds, his paying off presidential candidates…). He’s even willing to step onto his own children to protect his real ‘baby’: his company. However, the Chairman proves he can be open-minded and change his opinions for the greater good (that is to say the well-being of his Group). He sees the benefits of investing in his grandson’s capacities, and decides to give him a chance.

Apart from that it’s also quite clear, that the Chairman and Do Jun develop a special bond throughout the drama. They somehow become equals when it comes to investments, business and ensuring the future of the company. They want the same things – for Soonyang to thrive – but differ when it comes to the path to take. Indeed, Do Jun cares about the means contrary to the Chairman. He refuses to give in to illegality, and would rather find alternate solutions to achieve his goals. That’s the reason why he creates Miracle Investment to purchase his family’s shares, while going against his grandfather’s primogeniture rule. Values like trust and loyalty are at the core of Do Jun’s partnerships and victories. Money doesn’t necessarily mean triumph. That’s why, the young businessman succeeds in becoming the one true successor of Soonyang in the Chairman’s mind and the favorite grandson in the Chairman’s heart, against all odds. I was sincerely amazed by the relationship of Do Jun and Yang Cheol. They are so alike, and end up caring so much for each other. It’s clear to me that they are as much partners as enemies on certain subjects. But, they remain respectful and understanding of the other’s decisions. What a beautiful synergy to witness!

A one man’s story in South Korean History: Reborn Rich follows the journey of Yoon Hyeon Woo who’s given a second chance at life. To get his revenge, he travels back in time, ends up in Jin Do Jun’s body, and climbs the ladder to inherit the company. The plot could stop there and only focus on this fictitious man, living in a re-created past world. However, it doesn’t. The great asset of the drama – and what makes it so enjoyable to watch as well, in my opinion – is that Do Jun’s renaissance is part of South Korea’s and the world’s social, cultural, political, and economic changes. Using his knowledge of the future, Do Jun’s takes advantage of these various events from the 1980s to the early 2000s to build his fortune, and take his enemies down. By doing so, the drama gets credibility, and serves an educational purpose too. It enlightens on the dynamics at play when these changes occurred in the past, and teaches how one can seize them as opportunities for his/her personal agenda. Among these notorious events, here are some notable worth mentioning:

Political, cultural, and economic events in South Korea:
– The end of the dictatorial government in South Korea and the climb of president Roh Tae Woo elected in 1988. On top of that, we can even add the bribes and corruption to favor chaebols. Moreover, we can mention the attempt to weaken conglomerate’s power by having them pay more taxes, withdraw from certain industries, hand over some of their powers to the government,…

– IMF crisis in 1997 and its aftermath for South Korean and the world with the necessity to sell your valuable objects made of gold, massive lay-offs, the decrease of purchasing power and mass poverty for those barely making ends meet before the crisis.

– The boom and struggles of several industries in South Korea like:
1. The automotive market between the 1980s and 1990s: The Chairman is intent on keeping Soonyang Motors and making it grow
2. The credit card market: This helps Do Jun acquire his uncle Dong Ki’s shares by forcing him to buy a credit card company
3. The home-shopping market that expanded in the 2000s, quickly followed by the Korean entertainment industry (with the building of a specific city, a complex dedicated to it). In the drama, the latter field causes a war between the grandsons Do Jun and Seong Jun who both want to acquire the rights to build that novel city.
4. The rise of the tech industry with the IT bubble at the end of 1990s/beginning of 2000s; the premises of Amazon (Do Jun buys their shares at the early stages of the company’s development and ends up rich)
5. The boom of the real estate market in certain areas like Gangnam, who’s now known as one of the most expensive neighborhoods of Seoul

– Culturally speaking I would quote the fame of Seo Taiji and the Boys, Seo Taiji’s return to South Korea that Seo Min Young (Shin Hyun Bin) desperately awaits; the first match of Go between man and machine (AlphaGo vs. Lee Sedol), the future K-wave(s) that hit the world.

Political, economic, and cultural events in the world featured in the drama:
– The plane that exploded in Myanmar which almost cost the life of the Chairman, had Do Jun not warned them not to get on the plane.

– The World Trade Center terror attacks on 9/11 that tragically enable Do Jun to secure his investments and not be shaken by US stock exchange.

– Culturally speaking, I need to quote the successful box office movies like Titanic (in 1997) and Home Alone (in 1990) which allow Do Jun’s family to enter the entertainment industry, and earn him his first millions to create Miracle Investment.

All of these milestones are important in Do Jun’s life, as they support his journey. Yet, they are also informative to the public who’s either able to re-live moments of his past (sad or joyful), or discover major historical shifts that imprinted the country and the whole world.

The story of a revenge? In 2022, Yoon Hyeon Woo works for the Jin family as the handyman, secretary, head of PR, senior finance manager… In a nutshell, he manages everything. When given an order, he never asks questions and just obeys. This causes him to be executed by Jin Seong Jun, and accused of embezzling company’s money while trying to cash out a slush fund for his superior. However, he’s given a second chance at life when he’s catapulted back in the 1980s in the body of Jin Do Jun, the Chairman’s forgotten grandson. From then on, Hyeon Woo works hard to climb to the top. He uses his knowledge of the future to secure investments, and to grow his own venture company called Miracle Investment. Meanwhile, he uses his family’s weaknesses (greed, power-thirst) against them to win over management rights. In the middle of the 2000s though, Jin Do Jun dies in a car accident. Hyeon Woo goes back to his former body, and takes on where his story had almost stopped. But with one major discovery: He unwillingly participated in the real Jin Do Jun’s death.

Long story short, Yoon Hyeon Woo’s family was destroyed by the IMF crisis in 1997. His parents lost most of their savings, then his mother died abruptly. Hyeon Woo had to endorse most of the responsibilities to support his father and brother. He gave up on college, and worked several part-time jobs. Then, he met a senior executive from Soonyang Group who promised him a glorious future if he were to join the company. Little did Hyeon Woo know that he would get involved in the family’s succession war/murder. Hyeon Woo couldn’t go back on what he had done and chose to put this event behind him until he was betrayed himself. Him realizing the part he played in his death as Do Jun is a pivotal twist in the story. First, it allows Do Jun’s murder to be solved using Hyeon Woo’s confession and the proofs he kept all these years. Second, it brings closure to Do Jun’s lover Seo Min Yeong and his family. Third, it enables Hyeon Woo to get his revenge on the Jin family, as this revelation stripes them entirely of Soonyang management rights. Finally, it helps him make peace with himself, his past and repent for what he has done. Now cleared from his past misdeeds, he can move on towards a brighter future using the connections he’s created as Do Jun. For example, he strikes a partnership at the end with Miracle Investment’s CEO Oh Se Hyeon (Park Hyuk Kwon) – who’s reminded of his former friend Do Jun – and ends up joining his own firm again.

All in all, the drama is more the story of a man’s repentance than of his revenge. Of course, he’s absolved of his crimes, and can start anew. But, that’s essentially because of his hard work, his efforts and the sacrifices he made as Do Jun to achieve his goals. Among which, the greater one is probably his romance with Seo Min Yeong. In this life or the other, he and the prosecutor are connected: As allies, lovers, and ‘enemies’. Though they don’t get their happy ending, Reborn Rich has an open finale. Hyeon Woo continues his life, but Min Yeong has understood he may be Jin Do Jun. So, who knows what can happen next!