Shocking Twist in 'Scarecrow': Park Hae-soo Faces Kim Hwan-hee's Death Amidst Rising Ratings

Park Hae-soo delivers a shocking ending as he confronts the death of Kim Hwan-hee in 'Scarecrow'. Meanwhile, the drama continues to see a steady rise in viewership ratings.

In the third episode of ENA's Monday-Tuesday drama 'Scarecrow', aired on the 27th, the story of the day when Kang Tae-joo's (played by Park Hae-soo) life mission began was depicted. Despite being excluded from the investigation due to the assault case involving Jeon Kyung-ho (played by Kang Jung-woo), Kang Tae-joo requested one last search operation from Cha Si-young (played by Lee Hee-jun) with his resignation letter as collateral.

After finding the body of the missing victim, Kang Tae-joo left Gangseong Police Station. Meanwhile, high school student Kim Min-ji (played by Kim Hwan-hee) was discovered as another victim, delivering an unprecedented twist. The third episode recorded a nationwide rating of 5.0% and 4.8% in the metropolitan area, peaking at 5.4%, maintaining its upward trend. It ranked first among Monday-Tuesday dramas for three consecutive episodes and topped all channels in the same time slot.

Even after being detained, Kang Tae-joo rejected Cha Si-young's offer of help, leading to the breakdown of their cooperation. Cha Si-young demanded Kang Tae-joo's resignation due to the assault case involving Jeon Kyung-ho. Kim Man-chun (played by Baek Hyun-jin), the team leader seeking leniency, was given an ultimatum: "Detective Kang Tae-joo is excluded from all investigations as of today." However, Kang Tae-joo was not one to back down easily. The testimony of Kim Mi-yeon (played by Kim Gye-rim), a surviving victim rescued from a previous sting operation, revealed that the perpetrator confessed to killing five people. Kang Tae-joo made a bold proposal to Cha Si-young, "If you let me handle the search operation, I'll resign regardless of the outcome," securing another chance.

Kang Tae-joo suspected Choi In-sook (played by Min Hye-soo) as the third victim in the serial murder case from the missing persons list. When he arrived at the search site with Cha Si-young, reporters were already waiting, raising concerns about the fairness of the investigation due to their close friendship since high school. Kang Tae-joo conveyed his sincerity to Cha Si-young, "I want to find her daughter for Ms. Choi In-sook's mother," and asked for help to complete the search operation.

However, the spotlight shifted due to the appearance of Jeon Tae-geun (played by Kim Yong-jun), the county governor, and Jeon Kyung-ho's victim act, turning the scene into chaos. Fortunately, the situation was resolved thanks to Seo Ji-won (played by Kwak Sun-young). Seo Ji-won exposed Jeon Kyung-ho's true nature by broadcasting the contents of a tape, presumably sent by Cha Si-young, through a loudspeaker.

Finally, Kang Tae-joo found Choi In-sook's body and returned it to her mother's (played by Mok Jung-yoon) arms, concluding his final investigation as the detective in charge of the Gangseong serial murder case. As he was about to leave Gangseong Police Station, he unexpectedly encountered Kim Min-ji in front of Gangseong Bookstore. Upon hearing that Kang Tae-joo had quit the police force, Kim Min-ji said, "Can't you not quit being a cop? Just catch the culprit, mister," and handed him two caramels as a bribe before leaving. Little did he know it would be their last meeting. That night, Kim Min-ji, like her friend Yoo Jung-rin (played by Gong Ah-reum), faced the scarecrow in the dark. Kang Tae-joo's devastated gaze at Kim Min-ji's cold body left viewers heartbroken.

Meanwhile, Cha Si-young pressured Jeon Kyung-ho to admit to a false affair with Kang Soon-young to handle the assault case. As a result, Kang Soon-young, who was hospitalized, was attacked by Jeon Kyung-ho's wife (played by Jung Hye-jin) without knowing the reason and had to break up with her fiancé Lee Ki-beom (played by Song Geon-hee).

Additionally, a photo taken by Seo Ji-won during a confrontation with the suspect in a sting operation drew attention. Although the suspect's face was obscured by a hat and handkerchief, and the focus was blurred, Seo Ji-won decided to publish it in an article, believing it could pressure the suspect even if it couldn't identify them. The death of Kim Min-ji, the sixth victim of the Gangseong serial murder case, is expected to bring significant changes and awakenings for Kang Tae-joo.

Reporter Jung Se-yoon, Ten Asia yoon@tenasia.co.kr