Viewers are shaken most when it becomes clear that innocent people keep being created as scapegoats while the real culprit has been laughing close by all along. Scarecrow Episode 9 is a pivotal late-game episode in which Im Seok-man’s trial, Kang Tae-ju’s transfer, and Lee Gi-hwan’s statement collide at once, completely overturning the axis of the case.
Scarecrow Episode 9 Recap: Im Seok-man’s Trial, Lee Gi-hwan’s Shocking Statement, and the Reopened Gangseong Serial Murder Case
Episode 9 centers on the trial of Im Seok-man, who becomes the second person framed after Lee Gi-beom’s unjust death. Kang Tae-ju has left Gangseong because of a disciplinary transfer, but he discovers a new clue in Muwon, while Cha Si-young pressures him again in court. In the 2019 present, Lee Gi-hwan’s statement becomes the decisive device that forces everyone to question the true scope of the case.
Scarecrow is a crime thriller that traces the Gangseong serial murder case that shook the town in 1988, along with the years of brutal investigation, false accusations, and cover-ups surrounding it. The heart of the drama lies not only in the killer, but in the people who lived through that era and those who refused to give up on the truth.
The weight of Episode 9 rests less on a simple twist than on the question of who is forced to take the blame. Lee Gi-beom was cleared of a false charge, only to meet his death, and Im Seok-man is placed in that same position. Kang Tae-ju takes the stand as a witness in the trial of Im Seok-man, the man he personally arrested, while Cha Si-young questions him from the prosecutor’s seat and creates the possibility of yet another false accusation.
Basic Information for Scarecrow Episode 9
Key Situation Connecting Episode 8 to Episode 9
Lee Gi-beom’s death completely changes Kang Tae-ju.
Lee Gi-beom was the first victim of a false accusation. Circumstances of illegal confinement, assault, and torture came to light, yet no one was held responsible. His death drives Kang Tae-ju’s relationship with Cha Si-young past the point of no return.
The ill-fated bond between Kang Tae-ju and Cha Si-young moves into the courtroom.
After the incident at the funeral hall for Cha Si-young’s mother, Kang Tae-ju is saddled with accusations of brutality and forced to leave Gangseong. In Episode 9, however, the two face each other again as witness and prosecutor in Im Seok-man’s trial.
The fate of Im Seok-man, the second falsely accused victim, hangs in the balance.
Once Lee Gi-beom was cleared of the false charge against him, the investigation turned toward Im Seok-man. Cha Si-young sought the death penalty for him, and Im Seok-man is left even more isolated amid coercive investigation tactics and rejection by his own family.
Episode 9 Story Flow
Pushed out to Muwon by a disciplinary transfer, Kang Tae-ju appears to have been removed from the center of the case. Yet there he finds a new clue, confirming once again that the Gangseong serial murder case is not over.
In the unfolding events, Kang Tae-ju discovers the body of another murder victim. If this crime was committed by the same culprit, the investigation claiming Im Seok-man is the real killer cannot help but falter. That is why the new body becomes a key variable in Im Seok-man’s trial.
Kang Tae-ju was the person who initially became convinced that Im Seok-man was the real culprit and arrested him himself. The moment he takes the stand in court, the trial becomes not only a place to judge defendant Im Seok-man, but also a place to examine Kang Tae-ju’s own investigation and guilt.
During Im Seok-man’s trial, Cha Si-young questions Kang Tae-ju while probing his reactions. In particular, when a new murder case emerges, Cha Si-young raises the possibility of a copycat killing and corners Kang Tae-ju as another object of suspicion.
Episode 9 shows just how unstable the foundation of the investigation targeting Im Seok-man really is. As with Lee Gi-beom, the possibility grows that Im Seok-man was made into the culprit because the authorities and investigators needed to close the case quickly.
In the present timeline, Lee Gi-hwan can no longer be seen only as Tae-ju’s old friend. His statement brings back questions about the scope of the 1988 case, the number of victims, and even the existence of a young victim who has not yet been fully revealed.
Character Emotional Arcs
Kang Tae-ju
Kang Tae-ju stands between anger and guilt. He failed to protect Lee Gi-beom, and his own judgment in believing Im Seok-man was the real culprit begins to waver. In Episode 9, Tae-ju is both a detective searching for the truth and a man forced to confront the errors of his past investigation.
Cha Si-young
Cha Si-young becomes more clearly defined as someone who protects order rather than truth. In court, he tries to control the case through his position as prosecutor, but that control increasingly becomes a source of distrust for both Kang Tae-ju and the audience.
Im Seok-man
Im Seok-man is close to being the second manufactured culprit. Standing trial after even his family has turned away from him, he is someone who could repeat Lee Gi-beom’s tragedy. His fate is central to the tension in the latter half of Episode 9.
Lee Gi-hwan
In the 2019 present, Lee Gi-hwan holds the most dangerous truth of the case. As the cracks hidden behind the face of a friend and bereaved family member emerge, his statement forces a complete rereading of the 1988 case.
Seo Ji-won
Seo Ji-won is the person who records. She preserves the case not simply as investigative data, but as the time lived by the people of that era. The trial and statements in Episode 9 can ultimately be read as a battle over who records the truth and who tries to erase it.
Lee Gi-beom
Even after his death, Lee Gi-beom remains at the center of the case. His unjust death awakens Kang Tae-ju and becomes the standard through which Im Seok-man’s trial is viewed. Episode 9 continues to leave behind the anxiety that Gi-beom’s tragedy may be repeated.
Key Points in Episode 9
| Point | Details | Why It Matters |
|---|---|---|
| Im Seok-man’s trial | Kang Tae-ju takes the witness stand in the trial held after the prosecution sought the death penalty | This scene determines the fate of the second falsely accused victim. |
| Kang Tae-ju’s transfer | After leaving Gangseong because of a disciplinary transfer, Kang Tae-ju finds a new clue in Muwon | It shows that the case is not a problem confined only to Gangseong. |
| Cha Si-young’s questioning | Cha Si-young probes Kang Tae-ju’s reaction and raises the possibility of a copycat killing | This is the point where the prosecutor acts more as someone controlling the case than pursuing the truth. |
| New body | An incident suggesting that the serial murders have not ended | It is a variable that shakes the existing investigation claiming Im Seok-man is the real culprit. |
| Lee Gi-hwan’s statement | Shocking words revealed in the 2019 present | It makes viewers question again the real culprit, the number of victims, and the hidden scope of the case. |
The Meaning of Episode 9
Scarecrow Episode 9 asks more persistently, “Who was made into the culprit?” than “Was the real culprit caught?” Lee Gi-beom’s death was not the end, and Im Seok-man’s trial is placed like a warning that the same tragedy may repeat. This episode makes clearer both why Kang Tae-ju chases the truth and why Cha Si-young twists it.
Why Lee Gi-hwan’s Statement Matters
It shakes up the number of victims and the scope of the case.
The identity and numbers related to the real culprit revealed in the latter half suggest that the case may be broader and deeper than what has been known so far. In particular, numbers such as “12+2,” “19,” and “15” evoke the scale of murders, sexual assaults, attempted crimes, and the possibility of hidden victims.
Kang Tae-ju’s memories and friendship collapse.
To Kang Tae-ju, Lee Gi-hwan has remained an old friend and a family member of a victim. But the statement in the present completely overturns that relationship and destroys the very past Tae-ju believed in.
The meaning of the title Scarecrow becomes clearer.
A scarecrow may be someone forced to take the blame for another person’s crime, or a fake culprit set up to hide the real one. Episode 9 shows that the title points not only to Lee Gi-beom and Im Seok-man, but to the entire structure of the case.
Questions Remaining for the Final Stretch
Will Im Seok-man repeat Lee Gi-beom’s fate?
If Im Seok-man is driven to the end as the culprit, the Gangseong investigation will repeat the same tragedy. After Episode 9, the most important question is whether he can survive and clear his name.
How far will Cha Si-young go to control the case?
Cha Si-young even asks questions that could frame Kang Tae-ju as the culprit. Whether he is ignoring the truth or twisting it to protect his own order becomes a key issue in the later episodes.
What truth will Yoon Hye-jin’s disappearance lead to?
The scene in which Kang Sun-young hears the news of Yoon Hye-jin’s disappearance in 1988 shows that some incidents remain unresolved. Statements related to a young victim are likely to heighten the shock in the latter half.
Can Kang Tae-ju still see Lee Gi-hwan as a friend?
As the truth about present-day Lee Gi-hwan emerges, Kang Tae-ju is forced to face friendship, guilt, and the failure of the investigation all at once. His final choice may not only be about catching the real culprit, but also about breaking with his own past.
Points to Check Before and After Watching
Watch the direction of Cha Si-young’s questions in court
Cha Si-young is not simply questioning a witness; he is probing Kang Tae-ju’s reactions and trying to control the direction of the case. Following whether his questions are aimed at Im Seok-man or Kang Tae-ju makes the tension of the courtroom scenes clearer.
Watch the clue Kang Tae-ju discovers in Muwon
The clue Kang Tae-ju finds outside Gangseong expands the scope of the case again. It is a scene showing that the Gangseong serial murder case may be connected to a larger structure rather than being limited to one specific region.
Watch Lee Gi-hwan’s tone and attitude
In the 2019 present, Lee Gi-hwan no longer has only the face of a grieving bereaved family member or an old friend. Paying attention to his tone, the way he says the numbers, and the attitude with which he shakes Tae-ju makes the real culprit’s psychological game clearer.
Watch the repeated structure of false accusation
The structure of false accusation that runs from Lee Gi-beom to Im Seok-man is the core of this drama. The real culprit repeated murder, and the investigative authorities repeated the method of setting up scarecrows. Episode 9 shows that structure most directly.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q. When did Scarecrow Episode 9 air?
A. Scarecrow Episode 9 aired on ENA at 10 p.m. on Monday, May 18, 2026. It is also available on KT Genie TV and TVING.
Q. What are the key events in Episode 9?
A. The key events are Im Seok-man’s trial, Kang Tae-ju’s appearance as a witness, Cha Si-young’s questioning, the new clue discovered in Muwon, and Lee Gi-hwan’s shocking statement in the 2019 present.
Q. Why is Im Seok-man important?
A. Im Seok-man is a character who may become another falsely accused victim after Lee Gi-beom. His trial is a device that reveals the errors of the Gangseong investigation and the repetition of brutal investigative practices.
Q. Why does Cha Si-young suspect Kang Tae-ju?
A. After a new body appears, Cha Si-young raises the possibility of a copycat murder involving Kang Tae-ju. This can be read as a courtroom strategy meant to pressure Kang Tae-ju and maintain control of the case.
Q. Why is Lee Gi-hwan’s statement so shocking?
A. Lee Gi-hwan’s present-day statement brings back questions about the real culprit’s identity, the scale of the case, and the possibility of hidden victims. For Kang Tae-ju, it is also the moment when the past he believed in through friendship collapses.
Q. How many episodes does Scarecrow have?
A. Based on publicly available information, Scarecrow is known as a 12-episode drama. After Episode 9, the remaining key episodes lead into the final phase.
Closing Thoughts
Scarecrow Episode 9 opens the door to the drama’s latter half. Im Seok-man’s trial shows that Lee Gi-beom’s tragedy has not ended, and the new clue found in Muwon confirms once again that the Gangseong serial murder case cannot yet be closed.
Above all, Lee Gi-hwan’s statement completely shakes the direction of the truth Kang Tae-ju has been chasing. Now Kang Tae-ju must not only catch the killer, but also reveal who has been set up as a scarecrow and who has been hiding behind that scarecrow. Episode 9 most powerfully shows that this drama is not simply a thriller about finding the culprit, but a story about false accusations, cover-ups, and the people trying to record the truth.
