Episode 7: From Long Working Hours to Work-Life Balance in Korea
Korea’s Long Working Hours: History and Current Reality
South Korea’s economic story is inseparable from its culture of long working hours. After the Korean War in the 1950s, the nation was devastated and one of the poorest countries in the world. To rebuild, policymakers and businesses emphasized sheer effort. During the rapid industrialization of the 1960s through the 1980s, long hours were not only common but celebrated as patriotic.
Workers would often describe themselves as part of the national mission. Sacrifice was normalized, and late nights at factories or offices were framed as contributions to the nation’s future. At the time, slogans like “Work harder, live better” reflected the social contract: individuals gave their time and health, and in return, the country promised collective prosperity.
This culture persisted well into the modern era. Even in the 1990s and early 2000s, Korea consistently ranked near the top of the OECD in annual working hours. In some years, workers averaged more than 2,300 hours per year—a figure unthinkable in much of Europe. For comparison, Germans were working about 1,400 hours, and the French even less.
The government gradually introduced reforms to address these extremes. The five-day workweek became standard in 2011, and the 52-hour workweek cap was rolled out in 2018. These measures represented a turning point in Korean labor law, signaling that quality of life deserved protection.
Yet cultural inertia remains. Even in 2024, Koreans still worked an average of 1,900 hours annually, higher than the OECD average of about 1,750. While better than the past, this figure highlights that Korean workers still put in hundreds more hours than their European counterparts. The persistence of overtime, unpaid “voluntary” work, and expectations to stay until the boss leaves all reveal the slow pace of cultural change.
The Social Costs of Long Working Hours
The costs of overwork ripple far beyond the workplace.
Health Consequences
Long hours are directly linked to poor health. Chronic sleep deprivation, anxiety, depression, and cardiovascular issues are all more prevalent among overworked populations. In Korea, terms like “burnout” and “overwork death” (gwarosa) are widely recognized, showing how normalized exhaustion has become. Reports of young professionals collapsing from exhaustion, or workers suffering fatal heart attacks after consecutive late nights, still appear in the news.
Family and Demographics
The connection between work culture and Korea’s record-low birthrate is undeniable. With little time for dating, marriage, or childcare, young people delay or avoid family life altogether. Korea’s fertility rate dropped below 0.7 in 2024, the lowest in the world. Sociologists frequently cite long working hours as a root cause. Many workers simply feel they cannot handle both a demanding career and a stable family life.
Productivity Paradox
There is also the paradox of productivity. While Korean workers put in more hours than most, their productivity per hour lags behind many OECD countries. Working longer does not equal working better. Fatigue reduces efficiency and creativity, and businesses lose out on the innovation that thrives in healthier work environments. Economists argue that unless Korea reduces hours and boosts efficiency, it risks being trapped in a cycle of “working hard but not smart.”
Broader Social Costs
The wider costs include increased healthcare expenses, industrial accidents, and early retirements. Families suffer when breadwinners are too exhausted to engage at home. Communities weaken when people spend nearly all their time at work. These invisible costs are rarely included in economic calculations but weigh heavily on society.
Policies and Corporate Shifts Toward Work-Life Balance
Efforts to reverse Korea’s overwork culture have come from both the state and private sector.
Government Reforms
The 52-hour workweek was the most ambitious labor reform in decades. While controversial among employers, it won broad public support. Workers reported improvements in rest, family time, and overall satisfaction. However, enforcement remains uneven. Small and mid-sized firms often bend the rules, citing competitiveness and tight deadlines.
The 2023 proposal to allow up to 69 hours per week revealed how sensitive the issue has become. The plan was presented as “flexibility” but quickly faced backlash from unions, civil society groups, and younger workers. Protests and heated debates followed, forcing the government to retreat. This episode demonstrated that most Koreans no longer view long hours as a badge of honor but as a threat to well-being.
Corporate Experiments
Some forward-thinking companies have embraced new models. Flexible working arrangements allow employees to adjust schedules to personal needs. Remote work, once rare, gained traction during the COVID-19 pandemic and continues in hybrid forms.
More radical are trials of 4.5-day or even 4-day workweeks. Gyeonggi Province introduced shorter weeks in some public offices, and private companies are experimenting as well. Early results suggest higher employee satisfaction, lower turnover, and, in some cases, unchanged or improved productivity. These pilots are closely watched as potential templates for the future.
Performance Over Presence
Underlying these changes is a shift toward performance-based evaluation. Traditionally, presence at the office was equated with dedication. Today, global competition demands that companies reward output rather than attendance. Korean businesses increasingly realize that without such shifts, they will struggle to attract and retain young talent who expect modern work cultures.
A Cultural Shift: From “Hard Work” to “Balanced Life”
Perhaps the most challenging transformation is cultural. Laws can change overnight, but social attitudes evolve slowly.
Old Habits
Older generations grew up equating long hours with loyalty. Leaving before the boss was taboo, and workers who stayed late were praised as diligent. Even today, in many offices, the lights remain on well past normal hours, reflecting deep-seated habits.
New Values
Younger generations see things differently. Millennials and Gen Z in Korea are vocal about drawing lines between work and personal time. They see protecting evenings and weekends as essential, not optional. For them, phrases like “work is work, life is life” encapsulate a philosophy that prioritizes health, hobbies, and relationships.
Generational Tension
This divergence creates friction. Senior managers sometimes complain that younger staff are unwilling to “make sacrifices.” Younger workers push back, arguing that the sacrifices demanded in the past are unsustainable today. The debate reveals a broader cultural clash between traditional collectivism and modern individualism.
Societal Importance
What is striking is how this debate has moved beyond the office. Work-life balance is now discussed in the context of national sustainability. Policymakers link it to fertility, competitiveness, and even mental health. Sociologists argue that without cultural change, Korea risks not only burnout but demographic decline. Thus, balance is no longer seen as a personal luxury but a collective necessity.
Conclusion
South Korea’s rise was built on relentless work, but the cost has been steep. Overwork has strained bodies, families, and society itself. Now, momentum is building for a new chapter.
Through government reforms, corporate innovation, and generational change, Korea is cautiously moving away from its reputation as a nation of overwork. The path forward is clear: embrace performance-driven evaluation, adopt flexible systems, and embed values that respect life beyond the office.
Challenges remain—resistance from entrenched business practices, uneven enforcement of labor laws, and cultural inertia. Yet the direction is undeniable. As more Koreans demand balance, the workplace is being reshaped, and with it, the very definition of success.
For foreigners, Korea’s transformation offers an important lesson: economic growth achieved through sacrifice cannot last forever. For Koreans, it is an ongoing struggle to reconcile the pride of past achievements with the demands of a sustainable future.
If Korea succeeds, it may offer a model for other nations grappling with the same dilemma: how to balance hard work with the pursuit of a life well lived.