Former ‘Unanswered Questions’ PD Opens Up About the Heart and Responsibility Behind ‘Scarecrow’ [Interview]

On the afternoon of the 27th, an interview was held at a cafe in Samcheong-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul, with PD Park Jun-woo and writer Lee Ji-hyun to celebrate the conclusion of the ENA Monday-Tuesday drama ‘Scarecrow’.

‘Scarecrow’ is a crime investigation thriller drama where a detective investigating the real culprit of a serial murder case forms an unexpected partnership with someone he loathes. The show was inspired by the Lee Chun-jae serial murder case.

PD Park Jun-woo, known for SBS’s ‘Unanswered Questions’ (그것이 알고 싶다), ‘Curious Stories Y’, and dramas like ‘Taxi Driver’ and ‘Doctor Detective’, took the helm as director. He teamed up once again with writer Lee Ji-hyun, who wrote ‘Taxi Driver’ Season 1.

During the interview, PD Park shared his journey of becoming a drama director. “I joined SBS in 2004. I originally wanted to be a drama PD, but I failed all the tests. I ended up passing the interview for the current affairs and culture department. There were a few moments where I lost interest in my existing work, and thanks to some people who helped me transition to the drama department, I was lucky enough to make the switch,” he explained.

He also spoke about the weight of handling real-life events, saying, “When you deal with true stories in a drama, you can’t help but feel a sense of responsibility. The victims and their families are likely watching too. We often contact them when episodes air. It’s our job to worry about how to present the story as a drama without distorting their context while still gaining the love of the viewers.”

PD Park and writer Lee will collaborate on their next project as well. PD Park shared a funny moment, saying, “I told her we should do a series if ‘Scarecrow’ did well, but she refused,” which sparked laughter.

Writer Lee clarified, “It’s not a sequel to ‘Scarecrow,’ but we’ve decided to work together on the next project.” PD Park revealed more about the upcoming work, stating, “We’re planning to create a crime entertainment piece set in the early 2000s that’s a bit easier to watch. The working title is ‘Parakho’.”

He continued to express his regret, adding, “I still want to do a ‘Scarecrow’ set in the 90s. I want to make a crime series set in the 90s, but the writer keeps refusing.”