Netflix has unveiled “Deuljwi” (literally “Field Mouse”), a new tracking thriller series adapted from the Kakao Webtoon of the same name, as part of its third-quarter 2026 Korea lineup. The series pairs two of Korean cinema’s most recognizable leading men, Ryu Jun-yeol and Sul Kyung-gu, in their first project together.
The original webtoon, created by an artist known as Ludovico and serialized on what was then Daum Webtoon (now Kakao Webtoon) beginning in 2017, draws its premise from an old Korean folk tale: a field mouse that eats a person’s clipped fingernails can transform into that person’s exact double. The adaptation turns that eerie premise into a modern chase thriller, following Munjae (Ryu Jun-yeol), a reclusive novelist who loses everything in an instant to an unidentified impostor calling himself “Deuljwi.” To reclaim his life, Munjae partners with Noja (Sul Kyung-gu), a ruthless loan shark who had been hunting him down over an old debt, in a fragile alliance as the two chase the truth behind the identity theft.
Director Kim Hong-sun, known for genre works including “Sound of a Bell: The Guest,” “Voice,” and Netflix’s “Sweet & Sour,” takes the helm, with the screenplay written by Lee Jae-gon, who previously wrote Netflix’s “A Normal Family.” The series is produced by Kakao Entertainment alongside production houses CJ ES Studios and H House, reflecting Kakao’s growing strategy of shepherding its own webtoon IP directly into premium streaming production rather than licensing it out.
The project was announced at Netflix’s “Next on Netflix 2026” showcase in Seoul, where the streamer unveiled 34 upcoming Korean titles spanning drama, film, and unscripted formats for the back half of the year. “Deuljwi” was positioned among the event’s genre highlights, alongside other webtoon and web-novel adaptations in the slate, underscoring how central Korean serialized fiction has become to Netflix’s Korean content pipeline heading into the second half of 2026.
Source: Yeon Seung, Seoul Economic Daily (Sedaily), January 22, 2026.
