Actor Jung Moon-sung is gripping viewers with a spine-chilling performance that slips effortlessly between good and evil.
With only two episodes left until the finale of ENA’s Monday–Tuesday drama Scarecrow, Jung is commanding the tension as he pulls off two polar-opposite roles at once: ordinary bookstore owner Lee Gi-hwan and a brutal serial killer, Lee Yong-woo. In episodes 9 and 10, the mystery behind the cryptic numbers Lee left behind began to unravel, pushing immersion to its peak.
In the series, during a 2019 interview with Kang Tae-joo (played by Park Hae-soo), Lee Yong-woo drops a bombshell confession: not only the murder of Yoon Hye-jin (Lee A-rin) but even the long-shrouded seventh case were all his crimes—sending shockwaves through living rooms nationwide. Here, Jung’s restrained acting mechanics shone. With an icy gaze and an almost leisurely composure, Lee seizes control of the conversation, deftly shaking Kang Tae-joo’s psyche. Through underplayed micro-expressions and calm, precise movements, he conjures suffocating fear and suspense.
Jung’s radical transformation is going viral across online communities and social media, with reactions like, “Is he really the friendly teacher Do Jae-hak from ‘Hospital Playlist’?”, “The gap gave me chills,” “He’s so gentle in real life, but his eyes flip when he acts,” and “You’re terrifying—please go easier on us.”
Having birthed a next-level villain and seized the small screen, Jung Moon-sung’s run continues on Scarecrow, airing every Monday and Tuesday at 10 p.m. on ENA. The series is also available on Genie TV and TVING.