Work-Life Balance Takes Hold as Koreans Cut Work Hours Over 10 Years (Image supported by ChatGPT)
SEOUL, Dec. 29 (Korea Bizwire) — South Koreans are spending significantly less time working and far more time socializing than they did a decade ago, reflecting a gradual shift away from a labor-centered lifestyle toward one more focused on family, leisure and personal relationships, according to a major national labor study released on Sunday.
An analysis of the 27th Korean Labor and Income Panel Study, conducted by researchers at the Korea Labor Institute, found that average weekday working time fell by nearly 20 percent over the past 10 years.
Daily time devoted to primary employment declined from about 5.3 hours in 2014 to 4.3 hours in 2024, a change researchers attributed to shorter statutory working hours, the widespread adoption of the five-day workweek and the growing social emphasis on work-life balance.
At the same time, time spent with family, relatives and friends rose sharply. Weekday socializing increased nearly threefold, while Sunday social activity more than doubled, underscoring a broader cultural reorientation toward relationships and leisure.
Weekend leisure time, particularly on Sundays, expanded significantly as workers sought to compensate for limited free time during the workweek.
Sleep time also increased modestly on weekends, suggesting what researchers described as a “recovery sleep” pattern in response to accumulated weekday fatigue.
Despite these shifts, unpaid labor within households showed little improvement. Time spent on housework and child care remained largely unchanged, with women continuing to shoulder a disproportionate share.
While men modestly increased their participation in domestic labor over the decade, women still devoted significantly more time to caregiving, and gender disparities in employment stability persisted.
Life-cycle differences were pronounced. Younger adults prioritized leisure and social connections, middle-aged groups balanced work and family responsibilities, and older adults increasingly centered their time around rest and family life.
The report also highlighted mounting economic pressures. Although nominal household income rose slightly in 2024, real income declined amid inflation, while living costs edged higher.
Wage gaps remained stark, with women earning just two-thirds of men’s average monthly wages, and women were more likely to be in non-regular employment or exit the labor force altogether.
Taken together, the findings suggest that South Korea is in a transitional phase, moving gradually from a work-dominated social structure toward one that places greater value on leisure and family life, even as economic insecurity and gender inequality continue to shape daily realities.
Lina Jang (linajang@koreabizwire.com)
