At the 2025 Han River Space-Out Competition held on May 11 at Jamsu Bridge in Banpo Hangang Park, Seocho-gu, Seoul, a pet cat nestled in its owner’s arms looks on at the motionless participants sitting in a daze.
SEOUL, May 11 (Korea Bizwire) — Under the soft breeze of a post-rain afternoon at Seoul’s Banpo Hangang Park, 126 participants in clown wigs, hanbok, and even llama costumes sat silently side-by-side across the Jamsu Bridge on Sunday. They weren’t preparing for performance art—they were competing to do absolutely nothing.
This was the annual “Han River Space-Out Competition,” a uniquely Korean event that challenges the hyperproductive ethos of modern life by encouraging participants to sit in a dazed, inactive state for 90 minutes. No phones, no chatting, no movements—just pure idleness. First launched in 2016, the event skipped only the pandemic years of 2020 and 2021.
Participants—selected through a competitive 57-to-1 application process this year—ranged from subway operators and correctional officers to athletes and social workers. Contestants were judged on a mix of biometric data (heart rate stability) and live audience votes for their apparent state of “spacing out.”
The event is rooted in a quiet protest against hustle culture. “We’re here to legally enjoy a moment of zoning out,” read a banner on-site.
“Sometimes, I struggle to manage sudden emotional spikes at work,” said Kim Jeong-gil, a 33-year-old correctional officer who showed up in uniform. “I’m here to practice staying calm.”
Seoul subway operator Kim Do-yeon, 29, quipped, “I usually try not to zone out—people’s lives are at stake when I’m driving. Today, I’ll use my personal tricks to space out properly.”
Families came in full generational sets—grandparents, parents, and young children all joined in. “Kids today are always rushing between school and activities, and then glued to their phones,” one parent said. “We just want them to take a real pause.”
International participants added a global flair to the event. Japanese comedian Daisuke Miyagawa, 53, flew in just for the competition. “I saw this and thought, I have to try,” he said.
The first dropout came 18 minutes in—a YouTuber dressed as a llama bowed out with laughter, surprised he hadn’t lasted an hour.
Ultimately, the folk-rock band “Pogo Attack” took first place. “Between work on weekdays and performances on weekends, I haven’t had time to unwind,” said member Park Byung-jin, 37. “This was a rare chance to clear my mind.”
The Han River Space-Out Competition continues to offer a rare public platform for stillness—a meditation in stillness, and a celebration of doing absolutely nothing.
Image credit: Yonhap/ photonews@koreabizwire.com
