Interview: ‘Concerned Others' sheds light on addiction's silent fallout

Korea Herald

2 days ago

South Korea is no longer the drug-free society many believe it to be. In 2023, the number of drug-related offenses surpassed 27,000, the highest on record, with a staggering rise among teens and young adults.
Korean National Police Agency data for 2018-2023 showed that over 1,400 teens were investigated for drug offenses — more than triple the number from the previous year.
Additionally, a recent report from the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety on Thursday showed that methamphetamine has been detected in wastewater from major sewage treatment plants in the country for four consecutive years.
Addiction never affects just one person. The fallout ripples outward to friends, family and caregivers — to the concerned others.
"Concerned Others" by Scotland-based Tortoise in a Nutshell blends delicate visuals and first-person testimony to explore the emotional toll of addiction, not just on those who use drugs, but their loved ones, too. The production, currently on show at The Quad in Seoul's Daehangno district until Sunday, premiered at the 2023 Edinburgh Festival Fringe as part of the Made in Scotland showcase.
The creative team said the work was first developed in 2022 in response to Scotland's own drug crisis. The country holds one of the highest drug-related death rates in the developed world, with 1,330 drug misuse deaths recorded in 2021.
'There is also regularly a feeling that the statistics have now become part of a yearly 'shocking news' cycle, a kind of way of the public engaging with the problem only once a year for 'as little time as possible,'' said Alex Bird, co-artistic director of the play, in an interview with The Korea Herald, on Wednesday.
Wanting to do more than simply respond to headlines, the company spent six months gathering stories. They met with hundreds of people, conducting extended interviews with around 50 of them — from individuals in recovery to family members, medical professionals and outreach workers. Of the 20 hours of recorded conversations, only about 30 minutes make it into the final show, but each word carries weight.
"A real priority for us in this story was simply to pass on the live testimony we captured from everyone who wanted to speak with us,' said Bird.
In this intimate production, audiences peer into a delicate world built on a rotating table — a miniature landscape brought to life through a handheld camera, micro-projections, and an immersive soundscape.
While the central focus is drug addiction, the play expands to consider alcoholism, a socially accepted but equally destructive form of dependency in many cultures.
'Highlighting other forms of addiction was therefore just to allow people the chance to think again about the moral structure that exists around how we understand addiction,' Bird noted.
'Similar to how Korea has been described to us whilst we're here, people still use alcohol as a way to socially treat stress. The potential for this to become a big problem is obviously high, but for some reason it's viewed as more acceptable.'
Bird emphasized that 'Concerned Others' is not designed to offer solutions, but rather to create space for reflection, an emotional foothold from which to begin a conversation.
'Our one hope really is just that people have the time to consider the stories of the people whose voices you hear in the piece. We know addiction is a complicated and, for many people, deeply personal subject. But we really believe that by safely considering and imagining the topic together that we can support ourselves to find better outcomes for the millions of people who are affected.'