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Please Look After Mom

Official English Title.gif

2011

엄마를 부탁해

Please Look After Mom (엄마를 부탁해) is a musical adaptation of Shin Kyung-sook’s bestselling novel, exploring maternal sacrifice and family introspection through the disappearance of a mother.

2011

​Posters included in this archive are embedded solely for documentary and educational purposes.

🔗 All images are linked to their original sources or articles. No copyright ownership is claimed.

SOURCE

novel

SETTING

Korea

BOOK

adaptation

Productions in Korea

2011.05 🔴 Chungmu Arts Center Grand Theater (Seoul)

🔴 = Large-scale production

SYNOPSIS

(Full Synopsis)

Set in contemporary Korea, the musical unfolds around a family searching for their missing mother, uncovering long-overlooked truths about her life and their own.

The story begins at Seoul Station, where a mother goes missing in the crowd. As days pass without any trace, her family—children and husband—desperately search for her, posting notices and retracing her steps.

Through the search, each family member begins to recall memories of the mother they thought they knew. These recollections gradually reveal a deeper, more complex individual—one who silently endured illness, hardship, and emotional neglect while devoting herself entirely to her family.

As the family pieces together fragments of her life, they confront their own indifference and self-centeredness. They come to realize that they had taken her presence for granted, valuing her only in relation to their own needs.

The narrative ultimately becomes a reflection on motherhood, loss, and regret, emphasizing the universal realization that the mother, long seen as a constant, is also a person who needed care, understanding, and love.

PRODUCTION NOTE

The musical is based on the bestselling novel by Shin Kyung-sook, which was previously adapted into a successful stage play before becoming a musical in 2011. Directed by Koo Tae-hwan with music by Kim Hyung-seok, the production emphasizes emotional realism and familial themes. It builds upon the cultural impact of the original novel, which sold over 1.5 million copies and became a defining work in contemporary Korean literature.

POSTER COLLECTION

Poster images are provided for documentation purposes only and link to their original sources. All rights remain with the original creators and producers.

🔴 indicates Seoul large-theatre productions.

REFERENCES

Synopsis Sources

     

PlayDB – Please Look After Mom

https://m.playdb.co.kr/Play/Detail/22007

     

     

Articles & Reviews

     

Yonhap News – Musical Adaptation

https://www.yna.co.kr/view/AKR20110315090500005

     

Epicurus – Review

http://www.epicurus.kr/Others_Review/390204

     

KBS News – Culture Segment

https://news.kbs.co.kr/news/pc/view/view.do?ncd=2287309

     

MK Culture – Column

https://www.mk.co.kr/news/columnists/4920739

     

NoCut News – Adaptation Article

https://www.nocutnews.co.kr/news/813187

     

Financial Today – Feature

https://www.ftoday.co.kr/news/articleView.html?idxno=4066

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Last update: March 17, 2026

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