The Scarecrow (Korean: 허수아비) is a 2026 South Korean mystery thriller television series written by Lee Ji-hyun, directed by Park Joon-woo, and starring Park Hae-soo, Lee Hee-joon, and Kwak Sun-young. The series follows a detective investigating a serial murder case with a former rival by his side, to uncover the true culprit. It aired on ENA from April 20 to May 26, 2026, every Monday and Tuesday at 22:00 (KST). It is also available for streaming on Genie TV and TVING in South Korea and Viu and Rakuten Viki in selected regions.
Contents
Synopsis
Kang Tae-joo, a former ace detective demoted to his hometown of Gangseong, refuses to compromise with injustice. He sees the Gangseong serial murder case as an opportunity to restore his reputation, but clashes with prosecutor Cha Si-young, a bully from his school days. As they investigate, Tae-joo's character undergoes a transformation, and he encounters unexpected twists and turns in the case. The events of the show are heavily inspired by the Hwaseong serial murders.
Cast
Main
Park Hae-soo as Kang Tae-joo
Choi Hyun-jin as teen Tae-joo
A former homicide detective who currently works as a profiler teaching criminology at a university.
Lee Hee-joon as Cha Si-young
Moon Woo-jin as teen Si-young
A prosecutor who led the investigation into the serial murder case.
Kwak Sun-young as Seo Ji-won
Tae-joo's close high school friend and a reporter for Kangseong Daily.
Supporting
Song Geon-hee as Lee Ki-beom / Cha Young-beom
Lee Ki-beom: Ki-hwan's younger brother and Sun-young's boyfriend.
Cha Young-beom: Ki-beom and Sun-young's son who is an intern at Noise Cut.
Seo Ji-hye as Kang Sun-young
An elementary school teacher who is Tae-joo's younger sister and Ki-beom's girlfriend.
Jung Moon-sung as Lee Ki-hwan
The owner of Kangseong Bookstore who is Tae-joo and Ji-won's childhood friend, and Ki-beom's older brother.
Ryu Hae-jun as Park Dae-ho
A rookie detective at Kangseong Police Station. He assists Tae-joo on investigations and works alongside his senior officers.
Hur Jung-do as Cha Joon-young
Si-young's half-brother and a high-ranking police official who later gets appointed as the chief of the Kangseong Police Station.
Baek Hyun-jin as Kim Man-chun
Team Leader at Kangseong Police Station
Jeon Jae-hong as Jang Myung-do
A corrupt detective at Kangseong Police Station who is in cahoots with Si-young.
Kim Eun-woo as Do Hyung-gu
A corrupt detective at Kangseong Police Station who is in cahoots with Si-young.
Special appearances
Do Ji-won as adult Cha Sun-young
Park Won-sang as adult Park Dae-ho
Jeon Seok-chan as adult Im Seok-man
Cha Ji-yeon as adult Kim Hee-jin
Lee Min-ki as Cha Yeon-ho
Production
Development
Produced under Studio Anseillen, Park Joon-woo, known for his work on Taxi Driver (2021) and Crash (2024), was attached to direct the series and reunites with screenwriter Lee Ji-hyun, with whom he previously collaborated on Taxi Driver. It is based on the Lee Choon-jae serial murders.
Casting
In May 2025, Park Hae-soo, Lee Hee-joon, and Kwak Sun-young were reportedly cast. The next month, Seo Ji-hye joined the cast. Four months later, Song Geon-hee was cast, and filming was in its final stage. By September 2025, Park, Lee, and Kwak were confirmed to lead the series.
Release
The Scarecrow was reportedly scheduled to premiere on ENA in the first half of 2026, and would also be subsequently streaming on Genie TV. By March 2026, the premiere was confirmed to be on April 20, and would air every Monday and Tuesday at 22:00 (KST).
