Seol Kyung-gu and Ryu Jun-yeol's Netflix Thriller 'Field Rat' Gets an August Release Date

Netflix has set August 28 as the premiere date for Field Rat (들쥐), the new Korean original series pairing veteran actor Seol Kyung-gu with Ryu Jun-yeol in a cat-and-mouse thriller built around stolen identity.

The premise draws from a Korean folk tale that goes something like this: if a rat eats a person's fingernail clippings, it can transform into that person. Field Rat takes that unsettling idea and runs with it. A reclusive novelist named Moon-jae, played by Ryu Jun-yeol, finds his name, face, and entire life taken by a mysterious entity known only as "the field rat." Pulled into the hunt are a ruthless loan shark named No-ja, played by Seol Kyung-gu, who is desperate to recover stolen money, and a detective tracking the field rat's true identity.

Ryu Jun-yeol's casting as Moon-jae is an interesting fit. The character is described as deeply isolated due to social anxiety, and Ryu has shown a real gift for playing inward, pressure-cooker roles. Seol Kyung-gu, for his part, plays No-ja as someone who will do anything for money, the kind of relentless, morally unmoored character that the actor handles with particular ease.

The series is adapted from the Kakao Webtoon of the same name, which built a loyal readership around its tense identity-swap premise and folklore roots.

Behind the camera, director Kim Hong-sun takes the helm. He previously directed the Netflix series Bloodhounds (탄금) and the Korean adaptation of Money Heist: Korea – Joint Economic Area, so he has a clear track record with high-stakes, plot-driven productions. The screenplay comes from writer Lee Jae-gon, known for My Beautiful World (모범가족) and the procedural crime series Special Crime Investigation Unit TEN.

Field Rat premieres on Netflix on August 28.