Sejong Special Self-Governing City (Sejong City) is South Korea’s only special self-governing city, serving as the country’s administrative capital and multifunctional administrative hub. (Image courtesy of Sejong City)
SEOUL, Dec. 26 (Korea Bizwire) —Sejong emerged as the leading region for work-life balance in South Korea in 2023, according to a report released by the Ministry of Employment and Labor on Wednesday.
The region excelled in providing optimal working hours, leisure opportunities, and effective implementation of work-family integration policies.
The annual Regional Work-Life Balance Index, introduced in 2017, evaluates South Korea’s 17 metropolitan and provincial areas using five domains: work, lifestyle, institutional support, municipal engagement, and bonus factors.
The 2023 analysis highlighted Sejong as the frontrunner, followed by Incheon and Daejeon.
Sejong’s success was attributed to its nation-leading installation rate of public childcare facilities and high adoption rates of reduced working hours for parents in small and medium-sized businesses. The region ranked second in the “institutional support” domain and first in “municipal engagement.”
The beautiful night view of Sejong City’s First Village and Geum River. (Image: Sejong City)
Incheon demonstrated significant improvement from ninth place in 2022 to second in 2023, driven by increased vacation days and a higher adoption rate of flexible working arrangements. The introduction of new ordinances related to work-life balance further bolstered its “municipal engagement” score.
The national average score rose to 60.8 (excluding bonus points), up 2.1 points from the previous year. Improvements were observed nationwide, including reduced working hours and increases in overtime reduction, vacation usage, and adoption of flexible work arrangements in most regions.
The report also noted growth in the proportion of businesses participating in work-life balance promotional activities, training, and consulting, contributing to a 1.4-point rise in “municipal engagement” scores.
When factoring in the newly introduced bonus metric for government-certified domestic services, Incheon, South Chungcheong, and Gyeonggi led the rankings. Metropolitan cities like Seoul and Busan scored highest in this category due to the concentration of certified service providers, while regions such as Jeju, Gangwon, and Daegu scored lower.
Looking ahead to 2025, Lee Jeong-han, Director of the Ministry’s Employment Policy Bureau, announced plans to significantly increase parental leave benefits and expand support for flexible work arrangements, underscoring the government’s commitment to strengthening work-life balance initiatives.
This year’s results reflect ongoing progress in fostering a culture that balances professional responsibilities with personal well-being across South Korea.
Lina Jang (linajang@koreabizwire.com)
