The South Korean psychological thriller series “Mousetrap” has achieved a major milestone by climbing to the No. 1 spot on Netflix’s weekly Global Top 10 Non-English TV Shows chart.
According to official viewership metrics released by Tudum for the week covering August 31 through September 6, the series generated 4.4 million views, calculated by dividing total viewing hours by the show’s overall runtime.
This rapid rise occurs just two weeks after its global debut on August 28, when it initially entered the global charts in fifth position during its opening weekend.
The show’s reach expanded significantly during its second tracking period, entering the Top 10 rankings across 45 countries worldwide, including South Korea, Malaysia, Mexico, Hungary, Egypt, and Nigeria. Furthermore, the mystery-thriller secured the No. 1 position overall in multiple regional markets such as South Korea, Bangladesh, Malaysia, and Pakistan.
This global viewership surge underscores the growing international appetite for folklore-inspired suspense series adaptions coming out of South Korea.
Modern Folklore Concept Brings Dual Roles and Tense Alliances to Life
Written by Lee Jae Gon and directed by Kim Hong Sun, “Mousetrap” draws creative inspiration from a well-known traditional Korean folktale about a field mouse that consumes discarded human fingernails.
In folklore, fingernails are believed to contain a portion of a person’s spirit; after consuming them, the creature gains the power to transform into an exact physical duplicate of that human.
The series reimagines this classic myth into a high-stakes modern chase thriller following a reclusive novelist whose face, name, and entire life are stolen by a mysterious entity.
The narrative centers on actor Ryu Jun Yeol, who takes on challenging dual roles as the reclusive novelist Moon Jae and the enigmatic figure Yoo Min, who becomes the mouse that usurps his existence.
Joining the chase, veteran actor Sul Kyung Gu portrays No Ja, a relentless loan shark pursuing lost funds who forms an uneasy alliance with the protagonist, while Lee Kyu Hyung plays Soon Yong, a police detective investigating the bizarre identity theft.
Discussing his decision to join the project, Ryu Jun Yeol noted the unique premise, saying,
“I remember encountering this story as a traditional folktale when I was young, and I was drawn to the idea of reinterpreting it in a modern way and presenting it to global viewers.”
As word-of-mouth continues to spread, “Mousetrap” maintains strong momentum across international streaming charts.
