Series synopsis
Stranger, also known as 비밀의 숲 is a South Korean action & adventure mystery sci-fi & fantasy television series that premiered on tvN on June 10, 2017. It ended on October 4, 2020. It was created by Lee Su-yeon, An Gil-ho, Yu Je-won. It stars Cho Seung-woo, Bae Doona, Lee Jun-hyuk and Jeon Hye-jin.
Hwang Shi Mok underwent brain surgery as a child to curb his violent temper, which left him devoid of emotions. Hwang becomes a prosecutor known for his piercing intelligence and logic, but he is ostracized because he lacks empathy and social skills. He is also one of only a handful of upright prosecutors who have refused to take bribes. One day, he encounters a stabbing victim while investigating corruption. He meets Lieutenant Han Yeo Jin at the crime scene. They join forces to root out corrup ...
Premise
Hwang Shi Mok underwent brain surgery as a child to curb his violent temper, which left him devoid of emotions. Hwang becomes a prosecutor known for his piercing intelligence and logic, but he is ostracized because he lacks empathy and social skills. He is also one of only a handful of upright prosecutors who have refused to take bribes. One day, he encounters a stabbing victim while investigating corruption. He meets Lieutenant Han Yeo Jin at the crime scene. They join forces to root out corruption at the prosecutors’ office and solve a serial murder case.
Premise: It only gets stranger...
Cast and characters
Leading cast
- Cho Seung-woo as Hwang Si-mok
- Bae Doona as Han Yeo-jin
- Lee Jun-hyuk as Seo Dong-jae
- Jeon Hye-jin as Choi Bit
- You Chea-myung as Lee Chang-jun
- Choi Mu-sung as Woo Tae-ha
- Shin Hae-sun as Young Eun-soo
- Yoon Se-a as Lee Yeon-jae
Supporting cast
- Park Seong-geun as Kang Won-chul
- Jeon Bae-soo as Choi Yun-soo
- Lee Kyung-young as Lee Yun-beom
- Choi Jae-woong as Jang Geon
- Lee Hae-yeong as Shin Jae-yong
- Lee Ho-jae as Young Il-jae
- Kim Young-jae as Kim Sa-hyun
- Song Ji-ho as Park Sun-chang
- Lee Tae-hyeong as Kim Ho-seob
- Choi Byung-mo as Kim Woo-gyun
- Kim Hak-sun as Oh Ju-seon
- Jung Sung-il as Managing Director Park
Guest cast
- Tae In-ho as Kim Byung-hyun
- Kim Won-hae as No Won-hae
- Moon Choi as Lee Yu-an
- You Seong-joo as Kim Hu-jeong's father
- Park Ji-yeon as Jung Min-ha
- Seo Jin-won as Park Gwang-su
- Park Mi-hyeon as Park Gwang-su's wife
- Kim Dong-hwi as Kim Hu-jeong
- Moon Jong-won as Jeon Seung-pyo
- Jung Seung-kil as Baek Jung-gi
- Park Seong-il as Lee Dae-seong
- Kim Beom-soo as Kim Su-hang
Episodes
This series spans 6 seasons with 58 episodes.
| Season | Episodes | First aired | Last aired |
|---|---|---|---|
| Season 0 | 1 | June 3, 2017 | June 3, 2017 |
| Season 1 | 16 | June 10, 2017 | July 30, 2017 |
| Season 2 | 16 | August 15, 2020 | October 4, 2020 |
| Season 3 | 8 | July 4, 2019 | July 4, 2019 |
| Season 4 | 9 | May 27, 2022 | July 1, 2022 |
| Season 5 | 8 | November 26, 2025 | December 31, 2025 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Episode 1 | June 3, 2017 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
I Am Innocent As a teen, prosecutor Hwang Si-mok received surgical treatment for his abnormally developed brain, but the procedure left behind serious side effects. |
June 10, 2017 |
| 2 |
Just Turn On The Lights The convict's strong plea for his innocence prompts Si-mok to review the CCTV clip. At the Yongsan police station, he runs into officer Han Yeo-jin. |
June 11, 2017 |
| 3 |
A New Possible Suspect Si-mok volunteers to appear on live national TV to discuss Kang Jin-seob. He also makes a bold promise to find the culprit within two months. |
June 17, 2017 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Episode 1 On a foggy night, two college students drown at the beach. While Si-mok investigates, Yeo-jin tracks down a man who was at the scene of the incident. |
August 15, 2020 |
| 2 |
Episode 2 Police and prosecutors each prepare members for joint discussions on investigative authority. Dong-jae brings Woo Tae-ha some cases of interest. |
August 16, 2020 |
| 3 |
Episode 3 Yeo-jin recruits Geon. Digging into a policeman's death ruled as suicide, Si-mok and Dong-jae find signs that point toward a different story. |
August 22, 2020 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Chapter One: Suzie, Do You Copy? Summer brings new jobs and budding romance. But the mood shifts when Dustin's radio picks up a Russian broadcast, and Will senses something is wrong. |
July 4, 2019 |
| 2 |
Chapter Two: The Mall Rats Nancy and Jonathan follow a lead, Steve and Robin sign on to a secret mission, and Max and Eleven go shopping. A rattled Billy has troubling visions. |
July 4, 2019 |
| 3 |
Chapter Three: The Case of the Missing Lifeguard With El and Max looking for Billy, Will declares a day without girls. Steve and Dustin go on a stakeout, and Joyce and Hopper return to Hawkins Lab. |
July 4, 2019 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Chapter One: The Hellfire Club El is bullied at school. Joyce opens a mysterious package. A scrappy player shakes up D&D night. |
May 27, 2022 |
| 2 |
Chapter Two: Vecna's Curse A plane brings Mike to California — and a dead body brings Hawkins to a halt. Nancy goes looking for leads. A shaken Eddie tells the gang what he saw. |
May 27, 2022 |
| 3 |
Chapter Three: The Monster and the Superhero Murray and Joyce fly to Alaska, and El faces serious consequences. Robin and Nancy dig up dirt on Hawkins' demons. Dr. Owens delivers sobering news. |
May 27, 2022 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Chapter One: The Crawl November, 1987. The gang evades the military to scour the Upside Down for Vecna — but fails to notice a threat lurking closer to home. |
November 26, 2025 |
| 2 |
Chapter Two: The Vanishing of Holly Wheeler After a vicious attack at the Wheeler home, Mike and Nancy confront the cost of secrecy, while El and Hopper embark on a rescue mission. |
November 26, 2025 |
| 3 |
Chapter Three: The Turnbow Trap Will gains unique insight into Vecna's next move, giving the crew an opportunity to set a trap. Holly explores her new surroundings. |
November 26, 2025 |
Production
Release
| Original network/platform | tvN |
|---|---|
| First aired | June 10, 2017 |
| Last aired | October 4, 2020 |
| Status | ended |
| Schedule | Saturday, Sunday at 21:00:00 |