A recent study has revealed distinct commuting patterns among South Korean workers, with notable differences based on gender and age. (Image courtesy of Yonhap)
SEOUL, Dec. 22 (Korea Bizwire) – A recent study conducted by Statistics Korea in partnership with SK Telecom has revealed distinct commuting patterns among South Korean workers, with notable differences based on gender and age.
The study, combining statistical registration data with SK Telecom’s telecommunication mobile location and movement information, offers new insights into the nation’s workforce and commuting habits.
According to the study published on December 21, 61% of the commuting workforce consisted of men, with higher percentages of younger workers in the capital region and a significant proportion of those over 60 in Gangwon Province.
In contrast, women accounted for 39% of the commuting workers, but their representation was notably higher among those under 30, at 49.4%.
Regional differences were also evident. In the Chungcheong region, 63.1% of commuters were men, while in Jeju, women comprised 41.8% of the workforce.
The Seoul metropolitan area had a notably high percentage of young commuters in their 20s and 30s (31.1%), and the Gangwon region had a higher proportion of commuters over 60 years of age (25%).
The study further highlighted that men generally commence their workday earlier than women and that this trend becomes more pronounced with increasing age. Older workers are more likely to start their workday before 7 a.m. and finish before 5 p.m., whereas those under 30 tend to start after 10 a.m. and finish after 8 p.m.
Commuters on average spent 72.6 minutes traveling to and from work, with the journey to work taking an average of 34.7 minutes and the return trip 37.9 minutes. Men’s commute times were longer, averaging 75.6 minutes compared to 67.9 minutes for women.
Commuters in the capital region experienced the longest travel times, averaging 83.2 minutes, while those in Gangwon had the shortest, averaging 52.1 minutes.
The average commuting distance was 18.4 kilometers, with men traveling 6.3 kilometers more than women. Single-person households and older individuals generally had shorter commute times and distances. Men also tended to spend about 50 minutes more at their workplaces compared to women.
Another notable finding was the variance in intra-regional commuting. Sejong had the lowest rate of residents commuting within the same region (56.8%), while the rates were higher in Incheon (68.7%), Gyeonggi Province (74.7%), and Seoul (81.4%).
Cross-regional commuting patterns showed Sejong residents primarily traveling to Daejeon (20.9%) and South Chungcheong Province (10.3%), while Seoul residents mainly commuted to Gyeonggi Province (16.9%) and Incheon (1.9%).
J. S. Shin (js_shin@koreabizwire.com)
