“Is this really the same person?” This is the reaction many viewers shared after seeing Jung Moon Sung’s shocking transformation The ScarecrowENA’s latest drama inspired by the infamous Korean Hwaseong serial murder case.
Currently broadcast on ENA, The Scarecrow it quickly became one of the network’s biggest hits. According to Nielsen Korea, the drama recently achieved the highest paid household rating nationwide of up to 7.4%, leading many viewers to compare its explosive popularity to the first ENA phenomenon created by Lawyer extraordinaire Woo. At the center of the drama’s success is Jung Moon Sung, whose terrifying performance and dramatic twists left audiences stunned.
The Scarecrow is loosely based on a real case commonly known to the public as the Hwaseong Serial Murders, later identified as the crimes committed by Lee Choon Jae. Between September 15, 1986 and April 3, 1991, Lee Choon Jae prosecuted more than ten cases of sexual assault and murder within a 3-kilometer radius in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province.
At the time, police failed to identify the culprit, turning the case into one of South Korea’s most famous unsolved serial murder investigations. The horrific crimes traumatized the entire nation and later became recurring topics in investigative programs such as Unanswered questions, Chasing 60 minutesAND Note from the Democratic Party. The case also inspired director Bong Joon Ho’s legendary film Memories of murder.
More than 30 years later, on August 9, 2019, DNA testing officially identified Lee Choon Jae as the prime suspect. On September 24 of the same year, he confessed to being the real killer behind the Hwaseong serial murders, finally closing a decades-long unsolved case.
In The Scarecrowthe story follows detective Kang Tae Joo, played by Park Hae Soo, who spent years chasing the killer before confronting the criminal decades later. The drama constantly moves between past and present, immersing viewers in the fear and uncertainty that gripped South Korea in the late 1980s and early 1990s.
Just as in the case of real life, the shocking truth of the drama will only be revealed much later. In one of the series’ biggest twists, the real killer turns out to be Lee Ki Hwan, the childhood friend of Kang Tae Joo, played by Jung Moon Sung.
At the beginning of the drama, Lee Ki Hwan appears to be a quiet and gentle man who runs a small bookstore in his hometown. As the investigation into the serial murders intensifies and his younger brother Lee Ki Beom, played by Song Geon Hee, becomes the prime suspect, he seems like nothing more than an ordinary citizen destroyed by the cruelty of the times.
Lee Ki Beom is eventually tortured during the investigation under prosecutor Cha Si Young, played by Lee Hee Joon, and later dies from the consequences. Until that moment, viewers are led to sympathize with Lee Ki Hwan as a tragic man who has lost a member of his family.
But the truth is much darker.
Lee Ki Hwan himself has always been the real serial killer. Even more devastating, his younger brother had already suspected him. Before dying, Lee Ki Beom desperately begged his brother not to harm Kang Sun Young, Kang Tae Joo’s sister and Lee Ki Beom’s girlfriend, shouting: “Hyung… not Sun Young…” Yet despite his brother’s dying plea, Lee Ki Hwan never confessed.
As time passes in the drama, Lee Ki Hwan transforms into an elderly prisoner wearing a prison uniform, smiling calmly in front of his former friend Kang Tae Joo with a chilling sense of detachment. The character displays a terrifying duality, appearing at once profoundly human and horrifyingly monstrous.
Much of the drama’s impact comes from Jung Moon Sung’s performance. His naturally soft voice, calm speech, and warm gaze initially make Lee Ki Hwan seem trustworthy and compassionate, preventing viewers from suspecting him as the killer.
However, once he fully reveals himself as the serial killer, his entire aura changes. His unstable expressions, disturbing energy and flashes of madness create overwhelming tension. The contrast becomes even more disturbing because the face and voice remain the same while the character appears completely different.
The transformation has led many viewers to repeatedly ask: “Is this really the same person?”
By taking a well-known real-life case and reconstructing it through intense psychological storytelling, Jung Moon Sung’s performance has become one of the greatest strengths of The Scarecrow. His portrayal of a serial killer who appears deeply human and at the same time destroys all trust around him added an extra layer of depth to the drama, leaving audiences even more eager to see how the story will end.
Sources: Naver
