Korean Serial Killer Case Inspires Viral Scarecrow Trend

ENA's Monday-Tuesday drama 'Scarecrow' draws inspiration from the Lee Chun-jae serial murder case and distinguishes itself as the first production made after the real culprit was identified. Reflecting reality, the drama features the killer from the first episode and unfolds with a multi-layered structure that moves between the past and the present. Scenes of Kang Tae-joo (Park Hae-soo), a former violent crimes detective who becomes an elderly profiler, confronting the real killer Lee Yong-woo in a prison visiting room are placed as epilogues and prologues in each episode.

The drama alternates between 2019, when the killer was apprehended, and 1988, when the crimes occurred, set in the fictional region of 'Kangseong'. Detective Kang Tae-joo, who was demoted, encounters Cha Si-young (Lee Hee-joon), a former school bully from his own school days, now a prosecutor, while investigating the serial murders, leading to an unexpected collaboration.

Reporter Seo Ji-won (Kwak Sun-young), Kang Tae-joo's high school classmate, also assists in the investigation. However, Kang Tae-joo is thrown into shock and confusion when Lee Ki-beom (Song Geon-hee), the younger brother of his hometown friend Lee Ki-hwan (Jung Moon-sung), becomes a prime suspect. Lee Ki-beom is also in a romantic relationship with Kang Tae-joo's younger sister, Soon-young (Seo Ji-hye).

Compared to the film, 'Scarecrow' more robustly supports the narrative through its multi-layered interweaving of character relationships. In particular, the dilemma-ridden relationship between Kang Tae-joo and Cha Si-young, who become enemies from best friends due to misunderstandings involving their families before eventually uniting, forms the central axis of the drama. This work goes beyond a simple pursuit of the killer, shedding light on the lives of ordinary people shattered by crime, showing that not only the victims or those falsely accused but also everyone around them are casualties of that time.

The setting where the killer disguises himself as a scarecrow in the fields to target victims evokes a chilling atmosphere. Drama critic Gong Hee-jung, comparing it to a film with the same subject matter, explained that while the film strongly emphasizes momentary images, the drama unfolds the story with a longer narrative arc, allowing for a much deeper understanding of each character.