{
  "id": 2089543,
  "title": "'Mousetrap' turns Korean folktale into Netflix thriller",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/20/mousetrap-turns-korean-folktale-into-netflix-thriller-2089543",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-08-20T07:02:02.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Korea Times",
    "slug": "the-korea-times-koreatimes",
    "url": "https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/entertainment/shows-dramas/20260820/mousetrap-turns-korean-folktale-into-netflix-thriller"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Netflix is set to launch the Korean webtoon-inspired thriller \"Mousetrap\" worldwide. The story centers around Moon-jae (Ryu Jun-yeol), a writer who finds himself stripped of his identity after being targeted by an enigmatic figure called the Rat. Moon-jae teams up with No-ja (Sul Kyung-gu), a loan shark, and Sun-yong (Lee Kyu-hyung), a detective, to unravel the mystery surrounding the Rat's true identity. Directed by Kim Hong-sun, known for his gripping action and tension in shows like \"Dear Hongrang\" (2025), \"The Guest\" (2018), and \"Voice\" (2017), the series promises a chilling blend of psychological horror and genre thriller elements. The drama draws inspiration from a traditional Korean folktale about a rat that transforms into a human after consuming fingernails, offering a narrative of a man desperate to regain his lost self. At a press conference in Seoul, director Kim highlighted that the webtoon's script serves as the foundation for the thrilling plot.",
  "summary": "The stolen-identity thriller \"Mousetrap\" is officially primed for its global Netflix debut. The webtoon-based series follows Moon-jae (Ryu Jun-yeol), a novelist who loses his name, face and life to a mysterious entity known as \"the Rat.\" He teams up with No-ja (Sul Kyung-gu), a loan shark, and Sun-yong (Lee Kyu-hyung), a detective, embarking on a high-stakes hunt to uncover the identity of the…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "The Korea Times",
        "title": "'Mousetrap' turns Korean folktale into Netflix thriller",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/20/mousetrap-turns-korean-folktale-into-netflix-thriller",
        "published": "2026-08-20T06:52:03.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}