Netflix’s ‘Mousetrap’ Turns a Chilling Korean Folktale Into a Dark Identity-Theft Thriller

What if someone didn't just steal your identity — but actually became you?

Netflix's new Korean mystery thriller Mousetrap (들쥐) takes that nightmare and turns it into a dark chase story rooted in an eerie piece of Korean folklore.

The series premiered globally on August 28, 2026 and stars Ryu Jun-yeol, Sul Kyung-gu and Lee Kyoo-hyung.

A Man Loses His Entire Identity

Ryu Jun-yeol plays Je Moon-jae, a reclusive novelist who has spent years isolated from society.

Then his life begins disappearing.

His fingerprint no longer unlocks his phone. His passwords stop working. His money, name and identity are gradually taken away — leaving him unable to prove that he is actually himself.

Behind it all is a mysterious figure known as "The Rat."

The Korean Folktale Behind Mousetrap

The premise becomes even more interesting once you know where the story comes from.

An old Korean folktale tells of a rat that eats a person's discarded fingernail clippings and transforms into that person.

The impostor becomes so convincing that even the person's own family can no longer recognize who is real.

Mousetrap reimagines that unsettling idea for the modern world — replacing a supernatural identity swap with passwords, fingerprints, financial records and the systems people now depend on to prove who they are.

Ryu Jun-yeol Teams Up With Sul Kyung-gu

Moon-jae's search eventually brings him together with Noja, played by veteran actor Sul Kyung-gu.

Noja is a ruthless loan shark who has his own financial reason for finding the truth.

Meanwhile, Lee Kyoo-hyung plays detective Sun-yong, who becomes entangled in the hunt for The Rat.

The result is an unusual alliance between three characters pursuing the same mystery for very different reasons.

Based on the Webtoon “Field Mouse”

The Netflix series is based on the Kakao webtoon Field Mouse.

It is directed by Kim Hong-sun, whose previous work includes Money Heist: Korea – Joint Economic Area and Dear Hongrang.

Now Streaming on Netflix

Mousetrap premiered worldwide on Netflix on August 28.

For viewers who like Korean psychological thrillers, mysteries and webtoon adaptations, its combination of identity theft and Korean folklore gives the series an unusually creepy hook.

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🐭 Mousetrap & Korean Thriller Picks

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KoreaPopDesk Take

Mousetrap has a premise that works especially well in 2026: if every digital system says someone else is you, how do you prove that you are the real person?

Combining that modern fear with an old Korean folktale makes this one of the more unusual Korean thriller concepts arriving on Netflix this year.

Mousetrap is now streaming on Netflix.

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