'Scarecrow' PD Park Jun-woo: "Park Hae-soo's Death Ending Scuttled by Writer Lee Ji-hyun"[★FULL Interview]

*This content was translated by AI.

• Interview with Park Jun-woo, director of the ENA Monday-Tuesday drama 'Scarecrow', which concluded on the 26th, and writer Lee Ji-hyun

PD Park Jun-woo and Writer Lee Ji-hyun poured their condolences and sincerity into 'Scarecrow'.

Recently, a wrap-up interview with PD Park Jun-woo and Writer Lee Ji-hyun of the ENA Monday-Tuesday drama 'Scarecrow', which concluded the previous day, was held at a café in Samcheong-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul.

'Scarecrow' is a crime thriller drama that unfolds as a detective investigating a serial murder case unexpectedly forms an alliance with someone he despises, inspired by the Lee Chun-jae serial murder case.

Park Jun-woo PD, known for SBS's 'That Unknown Story' and 'Curious Story Y', as well as the dramas 'Model Taxi' and 'Doctor Detective', took on directing duties, while Lee Ji-hyun, who wrote the first season of 'Model Taxi', handled the script, marking their second collaboration.

Actor Park Hae-soo played the role of Kang Tae-ju, a detective who was demoted to his hometown of Gangseong and assigned to the serial murder case. Lee Hee-jun portrayed Cha Si-young, an elite prosecutor with sharp judgment and political acumen. Kwak Sun-young played Seo Ji-won, a righteous reporter at Gangseong Ilbo and Kang Tae-ju's elementary school classmate.

Thanks to solid direction, a compelling script, and the actors' passionate performances, the final episode achieved a viewership rating of 8.1% (based on Nielsen Korea's paid households nationwide). This ranks as the second-highest viewership in ENA's history, following 'Extraordinary Attorney Woo'.

PD Park stated, "It is good and I am grateful that the work received such a positive response. I have been making heavy, socially relevant works, and while not intentional, I think I have a tendency to favor such themes. The relationships between characters were entirely the writer's opinion."

Writer Lee said, "I am happy that the drama ended well, but at the same time, I feel a bit bittersweet."

Regarding achieving a successful conclusion amidst praise and high viewership, PD Park said, "I was very worried because my previous work did not do well, and many people around me were concerned. From the latter half of episode 7, when the true culprit was revealed, I worried that we might be betraying the viewers, which made it burdensome to have the viewers search for the culprit in the early part of the drama. To capture the viewers early on, we laid out many genre elements."

He added, "I worried that the search for the culprit might obscure the essence, and I also pondered how much information to reveal. However, I am grateful that viewers enjoyed it by considering various possibilities, and I am truly relieved and thankful that the ratings came out well. I hope this becomes a catalyst for more dramas of this kind."

Furthermore, 'Scarecrow' naturally evokes memories of the film 'Memories of Murder'. Regarding this, PD Park said, "The film has certainly established itself as an outstanding work. Moreover, it is directed by Bong Joon-ho. Planning this drama was not easy. When I asked the production company for more funding, they said it was impossible and rejected my request. Initially, I thought the content was too heavy and sad, making scheduling difficult. I believed we could tell this story from the opposite perspective."

Writer Lee smiled and said, "The ratings were good from the first episode and kept rising, which was really great but also burdensome. I did have some worries."

Responding to the writer's answer, PD Park said, "Writer Lee is truly a great person to work with. She is usually very gentle and easygoing, but she writes villain lines exceptionally well. She wants to write historical dramas and rom-coms, but it seems she will have to continue with genre works." He expressed his trust in the writer.

In response, Writer Lee wittily replied, "I have a youth coming-of-age story in preparation, but nothing is certain. In fact, I think I write genre scripts well too. I delivered the script to PD Park without delay."

Regarding Park Hae-soo, PD Park said, "I often heard stories about Park Hae-soo from those around me. There were stories that he is an actor who sets an example on set and has good character. Many people in the industry said he is an actor whose mood never becomes his attitude. He is fundamentally good at acting, has excellent physical stamina, and possesses great mental strength."

Regarding Lee Hee-jun, he first joked, "We are from the same hometown and alma mater," then added, "If Park Hae-soo has a kind image, Lee Hee-jun seems to be a style that prepares thoroughly. He is an actor who excels at detailed acting. His acting is so overwhelming that people ask him in private, 'When did you start acting so well?'"

He also shared his thoughts on Jung Moon-sung, who delivered impressive acting. PD Park said, "I felt that he was determined not to lose when acting. He never lets go of his own style. After filming, he immediately calls out 'Hyung!' The fun of watching the actors like Park Hae-soo, Lee Hee-jun, and Jung Moon-sung trade blows in their acting was great. We did not need to give the actors much acting direction. There were almost no NGs, which added to the pace." He expressed his satisfaction with the actors' performances.

There was also a difference of opinion between PD Park and Writer Lee regarding the character Tae-ju. PD Park revealed, "I thought Tae-ju deserved to die, but the writer said, 'That seems to go beyond a popular drama,' which surprised me."

Writer Lee said, "Perhaps only Tae-ju in the drama did not make the right choice. I wanted to tell a story not of a flawless person correcting a mistake, but of a person who made a mistake correcting it. I think that was the only fantasy allowed in our drama."

He also said, "I wrote this drama with the hope that Tae-ju would appear later, but I did not want to end it as a tragedy. I wanted to tell a story where the person trying to correct things carries a lighter burden on their heart and lives a slightly more peaceful life. Tae-ju lost his profession and social reputation, but didn't he gain precious people by his side? I think that is the only reward allowed to Tae-ju."

'Scarecrow' is a drama structured in the form of Tae-ju's memoir. Regarding this, PD Park mentioned the directing points: "The writer had many concerns about how to visualize the scarecrow. We entered with our own points: Part 1 as a horror, Part 2 as a chase, and Part 3 creating emotional amplitude."

The revelation of the culprit in episode 7, which marks the latter half of the drama, is also a unique feature of 'Scarecrow'. Contrary to concerns that tension would drop after the culprit was revealed, the drama actually unfolded a full-scale narrative, earning high praise for its high immersion.

Regarding this, Writer Lee said, "I had no intention of dragging the culprit to the end. Honestly, I thought the casting of Jung Moon-sung was a spoiler. I wanted 'Scarecrow' to tell a different story that carried through the early and latter halves."

He continued, "In the early part, if the story is driven by a scarecrow pretending to be a scarecrow, in the latter half, I thought we should drive the drama with a scarecrow in the form of police and public power who cannot fulfill their roles as humans."

Regarding the question about his transition to a drama PD, PD Park answered, "I joined SBS in 2004. I originally wanted to be a drama PD, but I failed all interviews. I interviewed for the current affairs and general interest departments and got the job. There were several anecdotes where I lost interest in my existing work. Thanks to those who helped me transfer to the drama department, I was lucky enough to make the transition."

PD Park, known for representative works of 'That Unknown Story' such as the 'Mungyeong Cross Incident', said, "I didn't know that my experience with 'That Unknown Story' would be so helpful. I have gained a lot, both directly and indirectly, and I am very grateful."

He continued, "When handling real-life stories in a drama, there is inevitably a sense of responsibility. The actual victims and their families are likely watching. I often contact them whenever the broadcast airs. It is our duty to consider how to present the story as a drama without damaging their context and how to win the love of viewers." He mentioned the sense of responsibility he feels as a director.

PD Park and Writer Lee will collaborate on their next project as well. PD Park revealed with a laugh, "I told the writer that if 'Scarecrow' does well, we should make a sequel, but she refused."

Writer Lee stated, "It is not a sequel to 'Scarecrow', but we have decided to work together on the next project." PD Park added, "I plan to make a crime entertainment work set in the early 2000s that viewers can watch more comfortably. The working title is 'Parakho'."

He then added, "I still have the desire to make a 'Scarecrow' set in the 90s. I want to create a crime sequel set in the 90s, but the writer keeps refusing." He repeatedly expressed his regret.

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*This content was translated by AI.