<p>Mold electromagnetic stirring (M-EMS) is extensively utilized to control subsurface inclusion density during the continuous casting (CC) of interstitial-free (IF) steel. To study the effect of M-EMS on inclusion capture behavior, a multi-physics model coupling the flow, temperature, and electromagnetic field in the CC mold was established, while the discrete phase model (DPM) was employed to simulate the movement of inclusions. Based on the conventional inclusion capture criterion involving liquid fraction and particle velocity, the effects of primary dendrite arm spacing (PDAS) and particle impingement angle on inclusion entrapment were comprehensively considered. It successfully predicted the overall distribution trend and range of inclusion density in the subsurface, and the results were validated by industrial experiments. M-EMS significantly altered the flow field pattern in the upper region of the mold, generating a horizontal recirculation flow that effectively reduced the number of inclusions captured at the front of the initial solidified shell. Although the application of M-EMS extended the residence time of inclusions at the meniscus, the average inclusion removal rate decreased from 0.72 to 0.25 pct. It significantly reduced the number of captured inclusions at the solidification front, the average inclusion capture rate decreased from 67.39 to 60.43 pct. Finally, the superiority of M-EMS was verified by industrial experiments, the inclusion density was reduced by approximately 37.30 pct. The predicted inclusion density of the subsurface by the model was consistent with the measured value in the overall distribution. The mean absolute errors (MAE) were 0.96 #/mm² for the case without M-EMS and 1.26 #/mm² for the case with M-EMS.</p>