Rookie Chairman Kang Episode 7 Recap, Ending, and Ratings｜Kang Jae-kyung’s Dark Turn and the Counterattack That Traps Kang Jae-sung
Rookie Chairman Kang Episode 7 is the episode where the Strategic Planning Team’s counterattack collides head-on with Kang Jae-kyung’s dark turn. Kang Bang-geul, Hwang Jun-hyun, and Park Bong-gi dig into suspicions of collusion in the lithium supply and the ownership structure of GF Solutions, stepping fully into the power struggle inside Choi Sung Group.
The biggest shock of this episode is the ending. Kang Jae-kyung joins hands with Na Byung-mo and sets up a scheme to eliminate Kang Bang-geul and Kang Jae-sung, while Kang Jae-sung is ultimately framed as the aggressor after losing control. Reported ratings were 8.9% in the Seoul metropolitan area and 8.8% nationwide.
Rookie Chairman Kang Episode 7 Key Summary
- Kang Jae-kyung manipulates Kang Bang-geul’s party photo to shake the relationship between Kang Bang-geul and Na Eun-seo.
- The Strategic Planning Team investigates Choi Sung Solutions’ lithium supply problem and suspected collusion.
- Kang Bang-geul uses GF Solutions’ ownership structure and the MOU to pressure Kang Jae-kyung.
- Na Byung-mo offers Kang Jae-kyung a deal to remove Kang Bang-geul and Kang Jae-sung.
- Kang Jae-sung threatens Kang Jae-kyung, only to end up framed as the aggressor.
Rookie Chairman Kang Episode 7 Recap｜The Strategic Planning Team Digs Into the Lithium Collusion Suspicions
In Episode 7, Kang Bang-geul begins investigating Choi Sung Group’s internal problems in earnest through the Strategic Planning Team. Working alongside Hwang Jun-hyun and Park Bong-gi, Kang Bang-geul is no longer just a rookie employee. She has become someone who reads the group’s weaknesses and designs the board accordingly. The key clues in this episode are Choi Sung Solutions’ lithium supply problem and the suspicions of collusion.
Kang Bang-geul focuses not on the surface-level contract issue, but on who controls the supply chain and who is using that information to shake the group. In the process, GF Solutions’ ownership structure and Choi Sung Group’s MOU emerge as important cards. Episode 7 shows Kang Bang-geul no longer staying on the receiving end. Instead, she strikes first by using her opponent’s weakness.
Kang Jae-kyung’s Dark Turn｜A Scheme Aimed at Both Kang Bang-geul and Kang Jae-sung
The biggest shift in Episode 7 comes from Kang Jae-kyung. To bring Kang Bang-geul down, Kang Jae-kyung manipulates a party photo and wages psychological warfare by making Na Eun-seo doubt Kang Bang-geul. This scene shows that Kang Jae-kyung has moved beyond being a simple rival and has become someone willing to shake people’s relationships for power.
Kang Jae-kyung’s dark turn becomes even clearer in the ending. Na Byung-mo offers Kang Jae-kyung a deal: if she gets rid of Kang Bang-geul and Kang Jae-sung, he will put Na Eun-seo in the CEO seat at Choi Sung Materials. Kang Jae-kyung does not stop there. She adds that Kang Yong-ho must be removed as well. This scene signals that Kang Jae-kyung is no longer in a defensive position. She is moving to reshape the entire power board of Choi Sung Group.
Kang Jae-kyung is not someone who merely keeps Kang Bang-geul in check. She changes into a player who factors in Kang Jae-sung, Kang Yong-ho, and even Na Eun-seo’s position as she tries to redraw Choi Sung Group’s power structure.
Kang Bang-geul’s Counterattack｜Why She Plays the MOU Card
Kang Bang-geul does not simply take Kang Jae-kyung’s attacks. Instead, she uses GF Solutions’ shares and the MOU situation to touch Kang Jae-kyung’s weak spot. According to reports, Kang Bang-geul pressures Kang Jae-kyung by suggesting that she can help with the MOU Choi Sung Group needs.
This scene matters because Kang Bang-geul has changed from “the person with information” into “the person who moves the board.” Kang Jae-kyung uses private relationships and manipulated images to shake Kang Bang-geul, but Kang Bang-geul counters with the company’s key contracts and supply chain. Their fight is no longer emotional. It grows into a power struggle over the future of the group.
Rookie Chairman Kang Episode 7 Ending｜Kang Jae-sung Falls Into the Trap and Becomes the Aggressor
The ending of Episode 7 shows just how dangerous Kang Jae-kyung’s calculations are. Kang Jae-sung overhears Kang Jae-kyung and Na Byung-mo’s deal and becomes furious. He later drives his car and threatens Kang Jae-kyung, but the situation turns against him.
In the final stretch, a setup is created in which Kang Jae-sung is cast as the aggressor and Kang Jae-kyung as the victim. Reports describing Kang Jae-kyung’s attitude as if she were saying, “Thanks for going crazy for me,” suggest that this was not an accidental incident but a calculated setup by Kang Jae-kyung. In the end, Episode 7 closes on the structure that Kang Jae-sung lost control, and Kang Jae-kyung used that outburst.
Kang Jae-sung moves out of anger, and Kang Jae-kyung uses that anger. The ending of Episode 7 shows that Kang Jae-kyung prefers making her opponent collapse on their own rather than getting her own hands dirty directly.
Rookie Chairman Kang Episode 7 Character Highlights
Kang Bang-geul finds a path for her counterattack by reading the lithium supply issue and GF Solutions’ ownership structure. After Episode 7, Kang Bang-geul feels less like a simple whistleblower and more like someone building a strategy.
Kang Jae-kyung uses manipulation, deals, and traps all at once. Her move to eliminate Kang Bang-geul and Kang Jae-sung at the same time becomes the biggest flashpoint for the second half.
Kang Jae-sung hears Kang Jae-kyung’s deal and loses control. But that anger becomes the weakness that pulls him into the board Kang Jae-kyung has already set up.
Na Byung-mo moves Kang Jae-kyung by putting Na Eun-seo’s position forward as a bargaining chip. His proposal shows that the power struggle inside Choi Sung Group has entered a much more blatant stage.
Na Eun-seo begins to doubt her relationship with Kang Bang-geul because of the manipulated photo. That doubt is the crack Kang Jae-kyung wants, and it remains an important variable in how the relationship changes later.
Rookie Chairman Kang Episode 7 Ratings｜8.9% in the Seoul Metropolitan Area, 8.8% Nationwide
Episode 7’s ratings were reported at 8.9% in the Seoul metropolitan area and 8.8% nationwide, based on Nielsen Korea’s paid household standard. With Kang Bang-geul’s counterattack, Kang Jae-kyung’s dark turn, and Kang Jae-sung’s explosive ending all coming together, the episode sharply raised immersion in its second half.
| Category | Figure | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Seoul metropolitan rating | 8.9% | Reported confirmed figure |
| Nationwide rating | 8.8% | Based on paid households |
| Key ending | Kang Jae-sung framed as aggressor | Hints at Kang Jae-kyung’s trap |
Episode 8 Preview Direction｜How Far Will Kang Jae-kyung’s Scheme Go?
After Episode 7, the most important question for Episode 8 is whether Kang Jae-sung can escape this trap. Kang Jae-kyung has already secured the victim position, while Kang Jae-sung must pay the price for acting impulsively. How Kang Bang-geul overturns this situation, and whether the Strategic Planning Team can prove Kang Jae-kyung’s setup, will be the core of the next episode.
The GF Solutions and lithium supply chain issue is also far from over. The harder Kang Jae-kyung pushes her power deal, the more Kang Bang-geul will need stronger evidence and justification. Episode 8 is likely to become a crossroads: will Kang Bang-geul’s counterattack lead to real results, or will Kang Jae-kyung’s trap grow even deeper?
Rookie Chairman Kang Episode 7 FAQ
Q. When did Rookie Chairman Kang Episode 7 air?
It aired on June 20, 2026.
Q. What were the ratings for Rookie Chairman Kang Episode 7?
Based on reported Nielsen Korea paid household figures, it recorded 8.9% in the Seoul metropolitan area and 8.8% nationwide.
Q. What happens at the end of Rookie Chairman Kang Episode 7?
Kang Jae-sung ends up in a situation where he threatens Kang Jae-kyung, but ultimately he is made to look like the aggressor while Kang Jae-kyung takes the victim position.
Q. Why can we say Kang Jae-kyung has turned dark in Episode 7?
Kang Jae-kyung manipulates Kang Bang-geul’s photo to shake her relationships, and she makes a deal with Na Byung-mo while moving to eliminate Kang Bang-geul and Kang Jae-sung. This goes beyond simple rivalry and can be seen as calculated behavior aimed at seizing power.
Final Thoughts｜Rookie Chairman Kang Episode 7 Reveals Kang Jae-kyung’s True Colors
Rookie Chairman Kang Episode 7 is an episode where Kang Bang-geul’s counterattack and Kang Jae-kyung’s dark turn unfold at the same time. Kang Bang-geul strengthens the Strategic Planning Team’s presence by digging into Choi Sung Group’s lithium supply problem and GF Solutions’ ownership structure, while Kang Jae-kyung reveals a completely different face by using photo manipulation, a power deal, and even a trap for Kang Jae-sung.
In particular, the ending where Kang Jae-sung is framed as the aggressor becomes the most important starting point for Episode 8. How Kang Bang-geul overturns the board Kang Jae-kyung has created, whether Kang Jae-sung can get back on his feet, and what kind of ripple effect Na Byung-mo’s deal will have across Choi Sung Group are the key points to watch in the next episode.
This recap was compiled based on JTBC’s official program information, official JTBC Drama YouTube videos, and reports from Newsen and Sports Kyunghyang.
JTBC Rookie Chairman Kang Episode 7 Replay · JTBC Drama Episode 7 Related Video · JTBC Drama Episode 8 Preview Video · Daum Entertainment Episode 7 Related Report