More than half of South Korean workers are either canceling their summer vacation plans or remain undecided, primarily due to financial constraints. (Image courtesy of Yonhap)
SEOUL, Aug. 5 (Korea Bizwire) – More than half of South Korean workers are either canceling their summer vacation plans or remain undecided, primarily due to financial constraints, according to a recent survey released on August 4.
The survey, conducted by the civic group Gabjil 119 in collaboration with Global Research, polled 1,000 employees nationwide aged 19 and above between May 31 and June 10. The results paint a stark picture of the economic pressures facing the country’s workforce.
Only 48.5% of respondents reported having concrete summer vacation plans, while 20.4% said they had no plans, and 31.1% remained undecided. Among those forgoing or postponing their vacations, a staggering 56.5% cited financial burden as the primary reason.
Other factors influencing vacation decisions included insufficient paid leave (12.2%), concerns about work piling up during absence (10.9%), and workplace pressure discouraging time off (7.8%).
The economic strain appears to disproportionately affect certain groups. Non-regular workers (61.9%) were more likely than regular employees (51.8%) to cite financial concerns, as were general staff (61.2%) compared to upper management (50%).
Interestingly, public sector employees reported the highest rate (15.7%) of feeling uncomfortable about taking time off. Workplace Gapjil 119 noted this figure is about four times higher than in large companies with over 300 employees, suggesting “outdated organizational culture” in public institutions.
The survey also revealed instances of what the group terms vacation “gapjil” — a Korean term for abusive conduct by those in power. Some respondents reported having vacation requests arbitrarily denied or being forced to work during approved leave due to heavy workloads.
Kim Do-ha, a labor attorney with Gabjil 119, criticized employers who exploit workers’ reluctance to file complaints with labor authorities.
“Every summer, we see repeated cases of employers abusing their right to change vacation schedules or forcing employees to use up their annual leave to coincide with the employer’s preferred timeframe,” Kim said.
He emphasized the need for both improved awareness of workers’ right to rest and legislative reforms to protect vulnerable workers currently falling through legal loopholes.
M. H. Lee (mhlee@koreabizwire.com)
