Actors Park Hae-soo and Lee Hee-joon’s drama wrapped with a flawless, “strong start, stronger finish” finale, ending on a definitive high note.
On the 26th, ENA’s Monday–Tuesday drama Scarecrow aired its 12th and final episode. After debuting at a 2.9% viewership rating, Scarecrow kept climbing week after week and, according to Nielsen Korea, set a new personal best with 8.1% nationwide and 8.3% in the Seoul metropolitan area for its finale. Remarkably, within just six episodes it surpassed former ENA Monday–Tuesday record-holder Ms. Incognito, rewriting the network’s records. It now ranks as the No. 2 highest-rated drama in ENA history.
Scarecrow is inspired by the Hwaseong serial murders that shook South Korea from 1986 to 1991. As the first drama to tackle the case after the true culprit was identified 34 years later, it drew major attention even before airing, frequently compared to the film Memories of Murder. Throughout its run, the series meticulously spotlighted the pain of a past we “can’t forget and must not forget,” delivering a weighty sense of consolation.
In the finale, Kang Tae-joo (played by Park Hae-soo) declares, “Unfortunately, it’s not over yet,” a line that points to the still-unresolved, bitter reality. In the story, Yoon Hye-jin (played by Lee A-rin) never makes it back to her family, and none of the perpetrators face punishment. The ending—where Kang Tae-joo finishes an interview by telling Lee Yong-woo (played by Jung Moon-sung), a serial killer who evaded judgment due to the statute of limitations, “You were the beginning of all this tragedy”—earned praise for delivering both must-have genre thrills and a sharp social message.
After the broadcast, viewers raved, saying, “We’re expecting a Baeksang Arts Awards win next year,” and, “Even though it’s based on a true story, it perfectly balanced the fun of a mystery with its core intent.” Others, however, felt, “It seemed to borrow too much from the film ‘Memories of Murder,’” and, “If there had been at least two more episodes, the wrap-up wouldn’t have felt so rushed.”
Meanwhile, Scarecrow is available to rewatch on Genie TV and TVING.