Park Hae Soo’s New K-Drama The Scarecrow Debuts at No. 1 — Is This 2026’s Must-Watch Crime Thriller?

K-drama fans, your next obsession just dropped — and it’s already topping the charts. ENA’s The Scarecrow premiered on April 21, 2026, and wasted absolutely no time making its mark, landing straight at the top of the Monday-Tuesday drama ratings race.

The Scarecrow : First Episode Numbers Are In

According to Nielsen Korea, The Scarecrow pulled in an impressive 2.9% average nationwide viewership rating in its very first episode — enough to clinch the No. 1 spot among all Monday-Tuesday dramas currently airing. That’s a strong signal for a show on ENA, a cable channel that doesn’t always have the reach of the big networks. The result speaks volumes about the pulling power of its lead cast.

What Is The Scarecrow About?

The drama centres on a gripping, tension-filled partnership that neither party wanted. Detective Kang Tae Joo (played by Squid Game star Park Hae Soo) is knee-deep in investigating a chilling series of murders when he finds himself forced into an unlikely alliance with prosecutor Cha Si Young (played by veteran actor Lee Hee Joon) — a man he genuinely despises. Expect sharp dialogue, moral grey areas, and the kind of slow-burn tension that makes great crime K-dramas so addictive.

If you love Korean crime thrillers, this one belongs on your watchlist immediately.

Ratings at a Glance

Yumi’s Cells 3 starring Kim Go Eun and Kim Jae Won also debuted respectably at 2.3% — notable given that two episodes had already been pre-released on TVING the same night, which typically splits viewership.

Why This Drama Has Buzz?

Park Hae Soo’s casting alone is enough to draw eyeballs worldwide following his breakout role in Squid Game. Paired with Lee Hee Joon — one of Korea’s most respected character actors — The Scarecrow has genuine acting firepower at its core. The Korean drama industry has delivered some of the most gripping crime series in recent memory, and early indicators suggest this could be another standout entry in that tradition.

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