ENA’s drama ‘The Scarecrow’ has taken the K-drama world by storm, emerging as one of the biggest contenders at the 5th Blue Dragon Series Awards. It earned the highest number of nominations among all drama series, cementing its status as one of the year’s standout Korean productions.
In an awards race often dominated by original series from global streaming platforms such as Netflix and Disney+, the ENA drama’s achievement is particularly significant. ‘The Scarecrow’ received six nominations, the most of any drama this year, proving its immense popularity and critical acclaim. After debuting with a modest 2.9% nationwide rating before climbing through strong word of mouth to surpass 8% for its finale, ‘Scarecrow’ has now become a central contender of this year’s awards season.
Earlier this month, the Blue Dragon Series Awards organizing committee unveiled the final list of nominees for its fifth ceremony. Eligible titles included dramas and variety programs released on domestic and international streaming platforms between June 1, 2025, and May 31, 2026.
A Record-Breaking Six Nominations at Blue Dragon Series Awards
Among all nominees, ‘Scarecrow’ stood out by receiving nominations in six categories:
Best Drama
Best Actor
Best Supporting Actor
Best Supporting Actress
Best New Actor
Best New Actress
No other drama received more nominations, a testament to its widespread impact and quality.
The series earned a prestigious nomination for Best Drama, competing against other highly anticipated productions like ‘Made in Korea,’ ‘Yumi’s Cells Season 3,’ ‘You and Everything Else,’ and ‘The Legend of Kitchen Soldier.’ Considering the field is filled with major productions from global streaming platforms, ‘The Scarecrow’s’ achievement is particularly notable. The nominations recognize not only its commercial success but also its compelling storytelling quality and ensemble performances that captivated viewers.
‘The Scarecrow’ Cast Shines with Multiple Acting Nods
Park Hae Soo received a well-deserved Best Actor nomination for his compelling portrayal of Kang Tae Joo, a man consumed by guilt while relentlessly pursuing the truth behind a decades-old case. His layered performance, balancing obsession, anger, remorse, and emptiness, has been widely praised by critics and fans alike.
The drama also earned acting nominations for:
Jung Moon Sung – Best Supporting Actor
Kwak Sun Young – Best Supporting Actress
Song Geon Hee – Best New Actor
Seo Ji Hye – Best New Actress
With nominations spanning lead, supporting, and rookie performers, ‘Scarecrow’ demonstrated the strength of its entire cast rather than relying on a single breakout star. However, one notable omission was Kim Hee Joon, whose powerful performance played a significant role in the drama’s popularity but did not receive an acting nomination. The absence has already sparked discussion among viewers, highlighting the depth of talent within the series.
Fierce Competition in Top Acting Categories
The Best Actor race will be highly competitive, with Park Hae Soo nominated alongside industry heavyweights:
Park Ji Hoon (The Legend of Kitchen Soldier)
Kim Seon Ho
Kim Woo Bin
Hyun Bin
Meanwhile, the Best Actress category features another star-studded lineup:
Go Youn Jung
Kim Go Eun
Park Bo Young
Park Ji Hyun
Shin Hye Sun
With acclaimed performances and popular productions represented across the board, this year’s drama competition is expected to be one of the closest in Blue Dragon Series Awards history, making ‘The Scarecrow’s’ strong presence even more impressive.
Supporting and Rookie Talent Steal the Spotlight
‘Scarecrow’ proved especially strong in the supporting and rookie acting categories. Jung Moon Sung earned well-deserved recognition for his chilling performance as serial killer Lee Yong Woo, whose unsettling presence sustained the drama’s suspense until its closing episodes.
Kwak Sun Young was widely praised for providing the emotional backbone of the series, making her Best Supporting Actress nomination another major achievement that resonated deeply with audiences.
The drama also secured two rookie acting nominations, signaling a bright future for its emerging talent. Song Geon Hee was nominated for Best New Actor, while Seo Ji Hye earned a Best New Actress nomination. Because rookie awards can only be won once in an actor’s career, the recognition carries particular significance. Their nominations further demonstrate that the drama’s success extended well beyond its leading cast, highlighting a truly cohesive and talented ensemble.
From 2.9% Premiere to ENA’s Second Biggest Hit
Long before awards season arrived, ‘Scarecrow’ had already proven its success through impressive ratings. The drama concluded its 12-episode run on May 26 after opening with a modest 2.9% nationwide rating. However, positive word of mouth steadily boosted viewership throughout its broadcast, a testament to its gripping storyline and strong performances.
The finale recorded an impressive 8.1% nationwide and 8.3% in the Seoul metropolitan area, setting a new personal best and solidifying its status as a ratings success story.
Those numbers rank as the second-highest ratings ever achieved by an ENA drama, trailing only the breakout phenomenon ‘Extraordinary Attorney Woo,’ confirming ‘Scarecrow’s’ place as one of the network’s most successful productions to date.
The finale also posted:
Peak nationwide minute-by-minute rating: 9.3%
Peak 20–49 target demographic rating: 3.3%
It ranked No. 1 among Monday-Tuesday dramas and topped all channels in its time slot, dominating its broadcast period.
A Gripping Finale That Left a Lasting Impact
The final episode delivered an emotional and impactful conclusion that left viewers contemplating its themes long after the credits rolled. Kang Tae Joo ultimately admitted that the evidence identifying Lim Seok Man as the culprit had been flawed and acknowledged his own investigative mistakes, showcasing a powerful journey of introspection.
He then introduced Lee Sung Jin, a victim of past abuse, as a financial witness, fundamentally changing the direction of the retrial. Serial killer Lee Yong Woo appeared in court and confessed to committing the seventh murder himself, leading to Lim Seok Man’s acquittal after spending 30 years wrongfully accused.
Yet, the ending deliberately avoided offering complete closure. Yoon Hye Jin was still unable to reunite with her family, and not every perpetrator received full punishment. That lingering sense of injustice became one of the drama’s defining emotional notes, resonating deeply with viewers and prompting reflection on the complexities of justice.
Inspired by a Real Case: ‘The Scarecrow’s’ Deeper Message
‘The Scarecrow’ draws profound inspiration from a real Korean serial murder case that occurred between 1986 and 1991. The drama attracted significant attention before its premiere because it was the first major television series released after the true perpetrator was identified 34 years later.
Rather than functioning solely as a crime thriller focused on catching the culprit, the series uniquely focused on *why* the truth remained buried for decades. Instead of simply asking who committed the crimes, the story explored how innocent people suffered and how institutional failures allowed the miscarriage of justice to continue for so long. Director Park Jun Woo previously explained during the production presentation that his goal was not merely to reveal the killer’s identity, but to examine why investigators failed to catch the real culprit and why the case remained unresolved for three decades.
The production team reportedly consulted with individuals connected to the real case before filming, recognizing the sensitivity surrounding surviving victims and their families. Both the cast and crew approached the material with caution and respect, resulting in a drama praised for balancing gripping genre storytelling with meaningful social commentary that sparked important conversations.
Vote Now! Will ‘The Scarecrow’ Sweep the Awards?
Public voting for the 5th Blue Dragon Series Awards is currently being held through the Celeb Champ app from July 2 through July 30. Each voting result carries the same weight as one judge’s vote, giving fans a meaningful opportunity to influence the final outcome and show their support for ‘The Scarecrow.’
Whether ‘Scarecrow’ can convert its record-breaking six nominations into multiple trophies will become clear when the 5th Blue Dragon Series Awards takes place on July 31 at 8:30 PM KST at Paradise City Chroma in Incheon, with the ceremony broadcast live on KBS2. What began as a drama that premiered with a modest 2.9% rating has grown into ENA’s second-highest-rated series of all time. Now, after receiving the most nominations in a field dominated by Netflix and Disney+ originals, ‘Scarecrow’ has firmly established itself as one of the most celebrated Korean dramas of the year.
