ASIAN SMALL-CLAWED OTTERS ARE OCCASIONALLY SPOTTED IN STREAMS IN DOWNTOWN SEOUL

About the show

Asian Small-Clawed Otters Are Occasionally Spotted in Streams in Downtown Seoul is an original Korean play written by Hae-youl Bae and directed by Raeeun Lee. Presented in 2022 at the Baek Seonghui & Jang Minho Theater as part of the National Theater Company of Korea's Creative Empathy: Playwright programme, the production explores love, loss, communication, and the quiet resilience of marginalized individuals. Blending everyday reality with elements of fantasy and fairy tales, the play follows people who struggle to understand one another while searching for ways to express compassion and care. Through the image of small-clawed otters drifting into Seoul's urban streams, the work reflects on lives shaped by displacement, isolation, and unexpected encounters. Rather than offering simple answers to grief and suffering, the production emphasizes the significance of small acts of kindness and the possibility of healing through storytelling. It presents an intimate reflection on the human desire to connect with others and to continue living despite loss.