'Scarecrow' Ends with Record-Breaking 8.1% Viewership, Proving Power of Word of Mouth

*This content was translated by AI.

'Scarecrow' concluded with its highest-ever viewership, proving the power of word of mouth.

'Scarecrow,' an ENA Monday-Tuesday drama scripted by Lee Ji-hyun and directed by Park Jun-woo, concluded its run on the 26th after airing its 12th episode. Starting with a 2.9% viewership in its premiere, 'Scarecrow' maintained a steady upward trend fueled by word of mouth. The final episode achieved a national viewership of 8.1% and 8.3% in the Seoul metropolitan area, setting a new series record and ending on a high note. At its peak, the episode reached 9.3% nationally and 3.3% among the 2049 demographic per minute, securing the number one spot not only among Monday-Tuesday dramas but across all channels in the same time slot. (Based on Nielsen Korea paid household data)

'Despite the claims of Im Seok-man (played by Jeon Seok-chan), witnesses summoned for the retrial—Jang Myeong-do (played by Jeon Jae-hong), Do Hyung-gu (played by Kim Eun-woo), and Park Dae-ho (played by Park Won-sang)—denied allegations of coercive investigation. In contrast, Kang Tae-ju admitted to the error in the radioactive isotope test, which was the critical clue identifying Im Seok-man as the culprit, as well as his own mistake. He then called Lee Seong-jin (played by Park Sang-hoon), another victim who had suffered abuse during his initial interrogation, as a re-examination witness. Cha Young-beom (played by Song Geon-hee) asked Lee Seong-jin if Kang Tae-ju had ever assaulted him, in addition to those he had identified. However, Lee Seong-jin replied, "That person is the one who saved me," and unexpectedly mentioned Cha Si-young (played by Lee Hee-jun). Upon hearing that Cha Si-young, the prosecutor in charge at the time, had forced a false confession, Cha Young-beom, who had regarded him as a father figure and followed him faithfully, was momentarily confused.

'Meanwhile, 30 years after Kang Tae-ju fled like a criminal, he met Seo Ji-won (played by Kwak Seon-young) again. After learning the reason Kang Tae-ju had to leave without saying a word despite knowing about Yoon Hye-jin (played by Lee Ah-rin), Seo Ji-won encouraged him, saying, "It's late, but now I will fix the mistakes I made." To reveal the truth behind the concealment of Yoon Hye-jin's body, Seo Ji-won stated that the testimonies of what Lee Yong-woo (=Lee Ki-hwan, played by Jung Moon-sung) saw and what Kang Tae-ju heard must be combined, and she prepared an exclusive report under the concept of "cooperation between a serial killer and a profiler." However, Kang Tae-ju surprised everyone by suddenly revealing the names of those involved in the matter without prior consultation with Seo Ji-won.

'Cha Soon-young (played by Do Ji-won) and Cha Young-beom learned that Cha Si-young had lived while burying a cruel truth, and they could not accept him as family. In response, Cha Soon-young confessed to her son that the person who caused her father, Lee Gi-beom (played by Song Geon-hee), to die was Cha Si-young, the prosecutor in charge of the Gang Seong serial murder case, and that before becoming part of his family, she was not Cha Soon-young but "Kang Soon-young." Despite this, Cha Young-beom still held out hope for Cha Si-young. While criticizing the fact that victims like his father had suffered again, he asked Cha Si-young to finally reveal the truth, sincerely apologize to the families of Im Seok-man and Yoon Hye-jin, and beg for their forgiveness. However, Cha Si-young, knowing he would lose Cha Young-beom, ultimately gave false testimony in court.

'And as Kang Tae-ju predicted, an ironic situation occurred where "the killer revealed the truth buried by the police." Lee Yong-woo appeared as a witness in Im Seok-man's retrial, proving himself that the seventh case was his own crime. Thanks to his decisive testimony, Im Seok-man was declared not guilty after 30 years. He shed off the label of "murderer" and reunited with his sister, Im Ji-hye (played by Shim So-young), in tears. Yet, Kang Tae-ju expressed a bitter and hollow feeling, saying, "Unfortunately, it is not over yet." Yoon Hye-jin still had not returned to her family, and no perpetrator responsible for the incident had been punished. As expected, Kang Tae-ju concluded his final interview by telling Lee Yong-woo, the serial killer who escaped punishment due to the expiration of the statute of limitations, "You were the beginning of all this tragedy."

'Scarecrow' attracted interest and expectations as the first work to be presented 34 years after the true culprit was identified, based on actual serial murder cases that occurred in Korea from 1986 to 1991. It re-examined past events that cannot be forgotten and must not be forgotten, as well as people in the present who still live through that tragedy, offering sincere comfort. Director Park Jun-woo and writer Lee Ji-hyun once again demonstrated a highly polished synergy following 'Model Taxi.'

'The actors led the drama with sincere performances more than ever before. Thus, 'Scarecrow' maintained a steady upward trend with consistent praise and word of mouth each episode, without missing either genre entertainment or social messaging.

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*This content was translated by AI.