# Hunter with a Scalpel (메스를 든 사냥꾼)
**Hunter with a Scalpel** (메스를 든 사냥꾼) is a 2025 South Korean crime thriller series in which a forensic pathologist discovers, during an autopsy, traces of her father, a serial killer she believed dead for twenty years, and sets out to find him before the police can expose her connection to him.[1](https://www.tvmaze.com/shows/84423/the-hunter-with-a-scalpel) • [2](https://cdnc.heyzine.com/files/uploaded/v3/c379d1237087a6a85ed0054b5c220e352934be94.pdf) It was produced by LG U+'s STUDIO X+U as a U+ Mobile TV original and was also served to Disney+ subscribers in Korea.[2](https://cdnc.heyzine.com/files/uploaded/v3/c379d1237087a6a85ed0054b5c220e352934be94.pdf) • [3](https://www.kcopa.or.kr/download.do?uuid=3f7c4757-81fd-42aa-8fc7-3a77163b95eb.pdf)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Original title | 메스를 든 사냥꾼; English title Hunter with a Scalpel, also known as Dark Legacy[1](https://www.tvmaze.com/shows/84423/the-hunter-with-a-scalpel) |
| Run | 16 episodes, June 16 to July 10, 2025, released Monday to Thursday at midnight on U+ Mobile TV[4](https://m.namu.moe/w/%EB%A9%94%EC%8A%A4%EB%A5%BC%20%EB%93%A0%20%EC%82%AC%EB%83%A5%EA%BE%BC) |
| Format | Midform drama of roughly 30 minutes per episode; total runtime 492 minutes[2](https://cdnc.heyzine.com/files/uploaded/v3/c379d1237087a6a85ed0054b5c220e352934be94.pdf) • [4](https://m.namu.moe/w/%EB%A9%94%EC%8A%A4%EB%A5%BC%20%EB%93%A0%20%EC%82%AC%EB%83%A5%EA%BE%BC) |
| Source | Adapted from Choi Yi Do's first full-length novel of the same name, published in print November 13, 2023[5](https://ridibooks.com/books/3433000893?_rdt_arg=general&_rdt_idx=186&_rdt_sid=bestsellers) |
| Main cast | Park Ju-hyun as Seo Se-hyun, Park Yong-woo as Yoon Jo-gyun, Kang Hoon as Jeong Jeong-hyeon, Ryu Seung-soo as Jeon Chang-jin[1](https://www.tvmaze.com/shows/84423/the-hunter-with-a-scalpel) |
| Festival | Officially invited to the Rendezvous section of the 89th Cannes International Series Festival before its domestic release[2](https://cdnc.heyzine.com/files/uploaded/v3/c379d1237087a6a85ed0054b5c220e352934be94.pdf) |
| Rating | 18+ restricted for violence and profanity; IMDb 6.8/10 from 747 votes[6](https://koreandrama.org/k-dramas/hunter-with-a-scalpel-2024/) • [7](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt36807941/ratings/) |
## Spoilers
### Premise and characters
Seo Se-hyun (Park Ju-hyun) is a forensic pathologist regarded as the top of her field, and she carries a hidden past: as a child she helped her father dispose of the bodies of his victims, and she later believed she had killed him.[8](https://pickle.plus/kr/ott/%EB%A9%94%EC%8A%A4%EB%A5%BC-%EB%93%A0-%EC%82%AC%EB%83%A5%EA%BE%BC-%EB%8B%A4%EC%8B%9C%EB%B3%B4%EA%B8%B0-%EB%84%B7%ED%94%8C%EB%A6%AD%EC%8A%A4) • [6](https://koreandrama.org/k-dramas/hunter-with-a-scalpel-2024/) While examining a corpse she recognizes the methods of Yoon Jo-gyun (Park Yong-woo), the serial-killer father she thought was dead, and she must track him down before investigators link the crime to her.[1](https://www.tvmaze.com/shows/84423/the-hunter-with-a-scalpel) • [8](https://pickle.plus/kr/ott/%EB%A9%94%EC%8A%A4%EB%A5%BC-%EB%93%A0-%EC%82%AC%EB%83%A5%EA%BE%BC-%EB%8B%A4%EC%8B%9C%EB%B3%B4%EA%B8%B0-%EB%84%B7%ED%94%8C%EB%A6%AD%EC%8A%A4)
She works alongside Jeong Jeong-hyeon ([Kang Hoon](https://www.edgepedia.org/kang-hoon)), chief of a violent crimes team, who is also pursuing the killer.[1](https://www.tvmaze.com/shows/84423/the-hunter-with-a-scalpel) Supporting roles include Jeon Chang-jin (Ryu Seung-soo), Seok U (Bin Chan-uk), and Jang Hyeok Geun (Choi Kwang-je).[1](https://www.tvmaze.com/shows/84423/the-hunter-with-a-scalpel) • [9](https://web.playpilot.com/us/show/hunter-with-a-scalpel-pptii1oat/) The series is framed as a psychological horror suspense crime thriller, and the female lead is characterized with antisocial personality disorder.[8](https://pickle.plus/kr/ott/%EB%A9%94%EC%8A%A4%EB%A5%BC-%EB%93%A0-%EC%82%AC%EB%83%A5%EA%BE%BC-%EB%8B%A4%EC%8B%9C%EB%B3%B4%EA%B8%B0-%EB%84%B7%ED%94%8C%EB%A6%AD%EC%8A%A4) • [6](https://koreandrama.org/k-dramas/hunter-with-a-scalpel-2024/)
## Production and release
The series was planned and produced by STUDIO X+U with Soul Creative, directed by Lee Jung-hoon, and written by Jo Han-young, Park Hyun-shin, Hong Yeon-i, and Jin Se-hyuk.[4](https://m.namu.moe/w/%EB%A9%94%EC%8A%A4%EB%A5%BC%20%EB%93%A0%20%EC%82%AC%EB%83%A5%EA%BE%BC) Filming ran from November 24, 2024 to March 31, 2025.[4](https://m.namu.moe/w/%EB%A9%94%EC%8A%A4%EB%A5%BC%20%EB%93%A0%20%EC%82%AC%EB%83%A5%EA%BE%BC)
It premiered on U+ Mobile TV on June 16, 2025, with new episodes at midnight Monday through Thursday, and concluded on July 10, 2025 after 16 episodes.[4](https://m.namu.moe/w/%EB%A9%94%EC%8A%A4%EB%A5%BC%20%EB%93%A0%20%EC%82%AC%EB%83%A5%EA%BE%BC) • [1](https://www.tvmaze.com/shows/84423/the-hunter-with-a-scalpel) Before the domestic premiere it was officially invited to the Rendezvous section of the 89th Cannes International Series Festival, with a festival screening date of April 29, 2025.[2](https://cdnc.heyzine.com/files/uploaded/v3/c379d1237087a6a85ed0054b5c220e352934be94.pdf) • [6](https://koreandrama.org/k-dramas/hunter-with-a-scalpel-2024/) The Korean Film Council's 2025 industry catalog lists it as a series in the narrative drama, restricted-rated, thriller category, produced by STUDIO X+U for U+ Mobile TV with a June 16, 2025 release date.[10](https://www.alio.go.kr/download/download.json?fileNo=3032925)
## The source novel
The drama adapts the novel *Hunter with a Scalpel* by Choi Yi Do, published by Happy Books To You; the print edition appeared on November 13, 2023 and the e-book on December 1, 2023, priced at 16,800 won.[5](https://ridibooks.com/books/3433000893?_rdt_arg=general&_rdt_idx=186&_rdt_sid=bestsellers) • [11](https://cylib.cne.go.kr/cmm/fms/FileDown.do?atchFileId=FILE_000000000132128&bbsId=BBSMSTR_000000000001&fileSn=1&nttId=579358) The novel, Choi Yi Do's first full-length work, follows the sociopath forensic examiner Se-hyun as she tracks a serial killer through the bodies he leaves behind, told from the alternating viewpoints of the examiner and the police; the author drew on crime knowledge from studying police administration.[5](https://ridibooks.com/books/3433000893?_rdt_arg=general&_rdt_idx=186&_rdt_sid=bestsellers) The publisher states that video adaptation inquiries arrived even before publication, and the screen adaptation was confirmed unusually early.[5](https://ridibooks.com/books/3433000893?_rdt_arg=general&_rdt_idx=186&_rdt_sid=bestsellers)
## Reception
On IMDb the series holds a weighted rating of 6.8/10 from 747 votes, with an unweighted mean of 7.5; per-episode ratings declined from 8.8 for the first episodes to 8.3 by episode 15.[7](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt36807941/ratings/) The ratings came most heavily from Indonesia, the United States, Germany, India, and Saudi Arabia.[7](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt36807941/ratings/) A Korean review aggregator shows an average user score of 4.1 out of 5, in the top 20 percent of its listings.[8](https://pickle.plus/kr/ott/%EB%A9%94%EC%8A%A4%EB%A5%BC-%EB%93%A0-%EC%82%AC%EB%83%A5%EA%BE%BC-%EB%8B%A4%EC%8B%9C%EB%B3%B4%EA%B8%B0-%EB%84%B7%ED%94%8C%EB%A6%AD%EC%8A%A4) During its run the series appeared in Fundex report rankings for U+ Mobile TV in the third week of June 2025, at positions 34 (Park Ju-hyun) and 50 (Kang Hoon).[12](https://racoi.s3.ap-northeast-2.amazonaws.com/2025_%ED%8E%80%EB%8D%B1%EC%8A%A4%EB%A6%AC%ED%8F%AC%ED%8A%B8_6%EC%9B%94_3%EC%A3%BC%EC%B0%A8.pdf)
The series also became the subject of copyright enforcement: at a Korean Copyright Commission deliberation, item 929 identified *Hunter with a Scalpel*, a U+ Mobile TV original [Korean drama](https://www.edgepedia.org/korean-drama) released from June 16 and served on Disney+, being distributed on a webhard service at 100 points per episode, and the committee resolved to issue correction recommendations for deletion, transmission suspension, and warning.[3](https://www.kcopa.or.kr/download.do?uuid=3f7c4757-81fd-42aa-8fc7-3a77163b95eb.pdf)
## Availability
In Korea the series ran on U+ Mobile TV and was available at no extra cost to Disney+ subscribers.[2](https://cdnc.heyzine.com/files/uploaded/v3/c379d1237087a6a85ed0054b5c220e352934be94.pdf) Streaming-availability trackers report that it is not currently available on Netflix, Disney+, Prime Video, or Apple TV+ in the United States and several European markets, though it can be streamed on Vidio in some regions.[9](https://web.playpilot.com/us/show/hunter-with-a-scalpel-pptii1oat/) • [13](https://www.moviefone.com/tv-shows/dark-legacy/NTZwyGEAqcItMHZUTWYrd1/)
## References
1. [The Hunter With a Scalpel, TVmaze](https://www.tvmaze.com/shows/84423/the-hunter-with-a-scalpel)
2. [WOMAN'S magazine, issue 2189 (June 27, 2025)](https://cdnc.heyzine.com/files/uploaded/v3/c379d1237087a6a85ed0054b5c220e352934be94.pdf)
3. [Korean Copyright Commission deliberation record 2025-131](https://www.kcopa.or.kr/download.do?uuid=3f7c4757-81fd-42aa-8fc7-3a77163b95eb.pdf)
4. [메스를 든 사냥꾼, Namu wiki](https://m.namu.moe/w/%EB%A9%94%EC%8A%A4%EB%A5%BC%20%EB%93%A0%20%EC%82%AC%EB%83%A5%EA%BE%BC)
5. [메스를 든 사냥꾼 (novel), Ridi Books](https://ridibooks.com/books/3433000893?_rdt_arg=general&_rdt_idx=186&_rdt_sid=bestsellers)
6. [Hunter with a Scalpel, KoreanDrama.org](https://koreandrama.org/k-dramas/hunter-with-a-scalpel-2024/)
7. [Hunter with a Scalpel ratings, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt36807941/ratings/)
8. [메스를 든 사냥꾼 다시 보기, PicklePlus](https://pickle.plus/kr/ott/%EB%A9%94%EC%8A%A4%EB%A5%BC-%EB%93%A0-%EC%82%AC%EB%83%A5%EA%BE%BC-%EB%8B%A4%EC%8B%9C%EB%B3%B4%EA%B8%B0-%EB%84%B7%ED%94%8C%EB%A6%AD%EC%8A%A4)
9. [Hunter with a Scalpel (2025), PlayPilot](https://web.playpilot.com/us/show/hunter-with-a-scalpel-pptii1oat/)
10. [KOFIC research 2026-01, 2025 Korean film industry yearbook listing](https://www.alio.go.kr/download/download.json?fileNo=3032925)
11. [Cheongyang Library August 2025 acquisition list](https://cylib.cne.go.kr/cmm/fms/FileDown.do?atchFileId=FILE_000000000132128&bbsId=BBSMSTR_000000000001&fileSn=1&nttId=579358)
12. [Fundex report, third week of June 2025](https://racoi.s3.ap-northeast-2.amazonaws.com/2025_%ED%8E%80%EB%8D%B1%EC%8A%A4%EB%A6%AC%ED%8F%AC%ED%8A%B8_6%EC%9B%94_3%EC%A3%BC%EC%B0%A8.pdf)
13. [Hunter with a Scalpel, Moviefone](https://www.moviefone.com/tv-shows/dark-legacy/NTZwyGEAqcItMHZUTWYrd1/)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Series and fictional screen worlds › International serial drama and telenovelas › East Asian drama series › Korean contemporary drama › Thriller, crime, and mystery series › Crime and mystery thrillers*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 18, 2026; Oct 3, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Sep 18, 2026; Oct 3, 2026; Oct 21, 2026; Oct 25, 2026; Nov 1, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license