The South Korean government is stepping up efforts to promote work-life balance. (Image courtesy of Yonhap)
SEOUL, Sept. 4 (Korea Bizwire) — The South Korean government is stepping up efforts to promote work-life balance, spotlighting companies that have embraced flexible schedules and reaped tangible benefits, from lower turnover to stronger hiring power.
At an awards ceremony in Seoul on Wednesday, the Ministry of Employment and Labor honored 21 winners of its annual essay, video and character contest on work-life balance. The grand prize in the essay category went to Jin Infra, a midsize company that adopted staggered hours and a focus-time system. Management reforms, employees said, turned “on-time departures into a daily routine” and fueled nearly 20 percent job growth over three years.
Other top prizes highlighted deeply personal accounts. One worker who cut his hours to leave at 3 p.m. for childcare was rebranded by his firm not as someone who “left early” but as a fast and effective performer, spurring wider adoption of flexible schedules. Another firm granted remote work to an employee caring for a cancer-stricken relative, a gesture that resulted in both improved performance and a promotion.
Even the smallest businesses are experimenting. One company with fewer than five employees, which is not legally required to offer paid leave, voluntarily introduced vacation and compensation days to foster a “flexible but resilient” workplace. Startups, often constrained by high turnover, reported reduced attrition after implementing tailored measures such as remote work, staggered hours and “refresh” leave.
The contest also tapped into popular culture. A video titled This Is Work-Life Balance earned top honors for its candid portrayal of daily life changes, while the character “Balance Bunny Gyeunto” was selected to serve as a mascot across social media and YouTube.
The government is now seeking to institutionalize these practices. Beginning in 2026, budget support will expand for small and medium-size firms, including higher subsidies for replacement staff during parental leave, new allowances for employees starting at 10 a.m. during childcare years, and monthly incentives for companies adopting a 4.5-day workweek.
A nationwide “work-life balance network” will be created to provide workshops, consulting and financial support, though the plan still requires parliamentary approval.
“Work-life balance has become a key factor for young people in choosing jobs, and a competitiveness issue for companies,” said Cho Jung-sook, director general of employment support policies. “We will strengthen tailored assistance so that small businesses are not left behind.”
M. H. Lee (mhlee@koreabizwire.com)
