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| People work out at a fitness club in Seoul, in this 2017 photo. Many workers begin to spend free time in the evening exercising after implementation of the 52-hour workweek system. / Korea Times file |
By Olivia Han, Bahk Eun-ji
Korea has been one of the most overworked countries in the world, with the third-highest number of hours worked among 37 OECD member nations as of 2017.
The economic boom in the 1970s to 1990s has inadvertently created a workaholic culture but society has changed and people are beginning to put more value into having a work-life balance. In July 2018, Korea adopted a new system to reduce the maximum weekly work hours from 68 to 52. Shortening work hours was one of President Moon Jae-in's election campaign pledges in an effort to improve quality of life and boost employment.
Almost one year after the system came into effect, a reinvigorating trend has emerged. Many Koreans are now utilizing the extra time off work to focus on their health and wellness.
This is an optimistic trend, as the nation's obesity rate has been growing. According to the Ministry of Health and Welfare, 42.3 percent of men aged over 19 and 26.4 percent of women were obese in 2016.
As bars and karaoke rooms burgeoned in the 1990s when it was almost a routine that workers had dinner and drinking sessions and sang and danced into the early morning, now a similar boom is taking place with an increase of gyms in all areas of the country.
More and more people work out, either at home or in fitness centers offering services such as personal training sessions, group classes and even recreational gym time. There is also an increase in the number of facilities providing other types of workout programs such as spinning, pilates and boxing. According to the National Tax Service, the number of gym operators increased by 6.9 percent from 2017 to 2018.
Yoo Su-hyun, a 33-year-old office worker, said she plans to get a yoga teaching certificate by the end of this year.
"When my workplace finally implemented the 52-hour workweek system in April, I honestly didn't know how to spend the free time after work," Yoo said.
But when she saw a yoga center flyer on the front door of her apartment, Yoo realized she always wanted to try yoga.
"Although I have never experienced doing yoga before, it has become one of the biggest pleasures in my life. Now I'm taking a class preparing for a yoga instructor certification."
Yoo said she has never imagined she could find such a serious hobby before the implementation of the 52-hour workweek.
She said the shortened working hours also changed her parents' life.
Yoo's mother Kim Hae-seon, 55, a resident of Cheonan, South Chungcheong Province, used to work on Saturdays. But following the implementation of the system, she has Saturdays off and has been learning a dance sport with her husband for two months. She is enjoying the new hobby a lot.
"My parents said they feel like newlyweds again thanks to the reduction of working hours," Yoo said.
Kim Tae-hee, a personal trainer at Charles Fitness gym in Ichon, Seoul, said, "More and more people are getting into fitness not only to build their physiques, but also for the energizing benefits from the release of hormones and endorphins which is a phenomenal stress reliever after a long day of work."
She believes this is a favorable trend and she is able to see a huge difference in her clients. "My clients are brighter and more energetic," she said.
Olivia Han is a Korea Times intern.
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