Hallyu star Song Joong Ki’s much-awaited comeback project Reborn Rich is currently topping the TV ratings game in South Korea.
According to Nielsen Korea, the 14th episode of JTBC’s hit drama has recorded a 24.9 percent nationwide rating, making Reborn Rich one of the most-watched drama series this year.
In the Philippines, the heart-stopping series is streaming exclusively on Viu. It is also currently airing in more than 170 countries worldwide.
As we wait to see how the story unfolds and how each character’s fate unravels in the last few episodes, PEP.ph (Philippine Entertainment Portal) gives a rundown of the show’s cast members and some of their previous projects.
SONG JOONG KI
Song Joong Ki stars as Yoon Hyun Woo, who is reborn as Jin Do Joon, the youngest son of Soonyang Conglomerate, the same chaebol family that betrayed him. In the drama, he shows how he changes his future and gets his revenge by making the most out of the chance that was given to him.
Joong Ki rose to fame in 2010 through the historical coming-of-age drama Sungkyunkwan Scandal. He was also one of the original members of the variety show Running Man.
Since then, he has played various roles in television, most notably in Vincenzo (2021), Arthdal Chronicles (2019), and Descendants of the Sun (2016), where he was paired with his ex-wife Song Hye Kyo.
He also starred in box office films A Werewolf Boy (2012) and The Battleship Island (2017).
Read more: Dimples Romana posts breathtaking moment with Korean superstar Song Joong Ki
SHIN HYUN BIN
Shin Hyun Bin portrays the role of Seo Min Young in Reborn Rich.
Her character is a prosecutor from the Anti-Corruption Investigation Department and works very hard to fight for justice even if she comes from an influential family.
2010 was considered Shin Hyun Bin’s breakthrough year, as she won the Best New Actress award at the 47th Baeksang Arts Awards for her movie He’s On Duty.
She is best known for her characters Jang Gye Ul in the Hospital Playlist (2020), Gu Hae-Won in Reflection of You (2021), and Ha Yoo Ri in Confession (2019).
LEE SUNG MIN
Lee Sung Min is Song Joong Ki’s ambitious grandfather in the series.
Being born in poverty, Lee Sung Min’s character Jin Yang Cheol has fulfilled his dream of becoming the President of South Korea’s leading business company Soonyang Conglomerate.
He has played various roles in television dramas, including Golden Time (2012), Shadow Detective (2022), Juvenile Justice (2022), and Memory Game (2016). He has also received a Best Actor award for his role in the 2018 movie The Spy Gone North.
YOON JE MOON
Yoon Je Moon breathes life into the eldest son of the Soonyang Conglomerate, Jin Young Ki. As the eldest in the family, he plays a crucial role in determining Jin Yang Cheol’s successor.
The veteran actor has appeared in various projects in TV, theater, and films since his acting debut in 1996. He has appeared in the theater play Ode To Youth, the film The Man Next Door (2010), and the K-dramas The King 2 Hearts (2012) and Midas (2011).
With several acting awards under his belt, Yoon Je Moon is considered one of the most reliable character actors in South Korea.
KIM JUNG NAn
Kim Jung Nan's character Son Jung Rae holds a position in their family’s hierarchy and plays a vital role in determining Jin Yang Cheol’s successor.
She has acted in numerous films and dramas since her acting debut in 1991, and has joined popular television dramas like A Gentleman’s Dignity (2012), Doctor Prisoner (2019), Mouse (2021), and Snowdrop (2021).
She was also part of the hit series Crash Landing On You (2020), starring real-life couple Hyun Bin and Son Ye Jin. Kim Jung Nan played the role of Ma Young-Ae, a wife of a senior colonel who was popular in the North Korean village.
JO HAN CHUL
Portraying the second eldest son of Jin Dong Gi, Jo Han Chul’s character Jin Yang Chul faces competition with Jun Young Gi in claim their right to the family’s wealth.
He recently appeared in the hit K-drama series Vincenzo (2021) where he played the role of Han Seung Hyuk, the CEO of Wusang, who did whatever he could to defeat Song Joong Ki’s character in the series.
Jo Han Chul was also part of the romantic comedy Hometown Cha Cha Cha (2021), where he portrayed the role of Oh Chun Jae, a former singer who runs a smalltown cafe while raising his daughter.
KIM NAM HEE
Kim Nam Hee joins Reborn Rich as Jin Seong Joon, the eldest grandson of Jin Yang Cheol.
By the right of primogeniture, his character is set to inherit almost everything, including the top position in Sooyang Conglomerate. But his fate changes when Jin Yang Cheol learns that his eldest grandson plotted his assassination.
In real life, since his graduation from Seoul’s Sograng University, Kim Nam Hee has delivered a number of noteworthy performances in various roles, such as the Japanese villain Takashi Mori in Mr. Sunshine (2018), a doctor in Goblin (2017), a director of the Barun Mental Health Clinica in The Law Cafe (2022), a scientist in Spring Turns to Spring (2019), and a sword fighter Jung Jae Heon in Sweet Home (2020).
He also had a cameo in the final episode of the 2022 series Twenty Five Twenty One.
PARK JI HYUN
Park Ji Hyun takes on the role of Mo Hyun Mi, the only daughter of Hyunsung Ilbo’s owner and the wife of Jin Seong Joon, the eldest grandson of the Soonyang Conglomerate. She marries Jin Seong Joon not because of love but for power.
Before Reborn Rich, she played significant roles in projects Your Honor (2018) and the Park Seo Joon-starrer The Divine Fury (2019)
TIFFANY YOUNG
Tiffany Young, who debuted as a member of Girls’ Generation in 2007, makes her K-drama debut in Reborn Rich. She joins the top-rating series as Rachel, the Korean-American assistant of Song Joong Ki’s character.
In a report by Park Jin Young for Korean news agency JoyNews24, Reborn Rich’s director Jeong Dae Yoon praised the K-pop star’s acting chops.
“Young's serious yet comical acting was also good," he said.
Tiffany has visited the Philippines three times.
Her first time in the Philippines was for the Dream K-pop Fantasy Concert with her former groupmates in January 2013.
She returned with Girls' Generation in April 2015 for the Best of Best K-pop Concert held at the Philippine Arena.
In January 2020, she staged her first solo concert in the country at the New Frontier Theater in Quezon City.
PARK JINYOUNG
Portraying a cameo role in the series, GOT7 member Park Jinyoung’s character is a rookie employee of Soonyang who works under Yoon Hyun Woo (Song Joong Ki).
He develops a good relationship with Yoon Hyun Woo, who also served as his mentor. But in the latter part of the pilot episode, an unexpected twist determines the fate of GOT7 Jinyoung’s role.
Aside from Reborn Rich, Park Jinyoung has landed several leading roles in various K-drama series, including Yumi’s Cells 2 (2021-2022), He is Psychometric (2019), When My Love Blooms (2020), The Devil Judge (2021), and Dream High 2 (2012).
He is also staging a fan meeting in the Philippines in February 2023.
KIM KANG HOON
Taking on the role of young Jin Do Joon (Song Joong Ki), the grandson of Soonyang Conglomerate’s founder, is 13-year-old actor Kim Kang Hoon.
His remarkable performance in Reborn Rich is gaining positive reviews from viewers across the globe.
This was not the first time that the young star was praised for his portrayal in a television series. In fact, he received the Best Young Actor award at the 2019 KBS Drama Awards for his role as Gong Hyo Jin’s son in the hit drama When the Camellia Blooms.
He was also one of the youngest nominees for Best New Actor in Television at the 56th Baeksang Arts Awards.
Good Manager (2017), Kingdom Season 2 (2020), and Mr. Queen (2021) are some of his notable projects.
KANG KI DOONG
Kang Ki Doong plays the older brother of Jin Do Joon (Song Joong Ki) who dreams of becoming a rich unemployed man. His character in the series is a bit playful and brings a comedic flair to very serious situations.
He appeared in other K-dramas, like Sh**ting Stars (2022), It’s Okay Not To Be Okay (2020), The King: Eternal Monarch (2020), Romance is a Bonus Book (2019), and Fight for My Way (2017).
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