Koreans Complaining About Too Much Free Time
How many countries in the world do their citizens complain about having too much free time?
On Friday, it will have been one year since the five-day workweek became law for all state-run companies, all financial institutions and all private businesses with more than 1,000 employees. On the same day, the five-day week will go into effect for companies with more than 300 workers.
The reason for introducing the five-day workweek to a country accustomed to working Saturdays was to improve the quality of workers’ lives. But many Koreans ¿ a majority, according to a government survey ¿ aren’t happy with the new lifestyle.
The Ministry of Culture and Tourism recently surveyed 864 adults whose employers switched over to the five-day workweek a year ago. Of those surveyed, 57 percent said they were dissatisfied with the additional free time. Only 5 percent said they were “very satisfied” with it.
Here are some of the reasons Koreans are unhappy about all this free time:
A 40-year-old employee at a brokerage firm in Yeouido, Seoul, who asked to be identified only as Mr. Lim, said he rejoiced when he heard about the new system. But “after driving out to the country every weekend, there was nowhere else to go,” Mr. Lim said.
Sounds like Mr. Lim isn’t trying very hard to find something to do because Korea is anything but boring. There is always something going on here.
Many people complained about the financial burden placed on them by the extra leisure spending. Kim Kang-joon, a 39 year-old office worker, was skating along the Han River with his family last weekend. “I spent 400,000 won ($395) on the inline skates, and we’ve been to several water parks in the metropolitan area,” Mr. Kim said.
Sounds like Mr. Kim needs to take up cheaper hobbies. How about basketball instead of inline skating? Or how about hiking in the numerous parks where the tickets are extremely cheap?
“Since the five-day workweek, I have no strength left to think of anything else but making up for lost sleep, because I have to go to the office earlier than before and I am overloaded with work,” said an employee at Daewoo Securities who asked for anonymity.
Sounds like he needs to learn how to work more efficiently and take shorter lunch breaks to improve efficiency during the work day.
Here’s another shocker:
The survey by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism found that 83.1percent of those surveyed said their spending on leisure had gone up; 16.3 percent said it was the same as it was before the five-day workweek system was adopted.
Imagine that, leisure spending rising because people have more time off. Absolutely shocking news.
I have a recommendation for all these people being burned about by all this leisure time. Take up a hobby or how about spending time at home with your family if you are married.
Some of the Korean civilians I work with tell me the main reason Korean workers dislike the 40 hour work week is because they are making less money because they are working less hours. Not because they have to much leisure time. The truth of the matter probably lies somewhere in the middle.
Ignore! They complain everything.
A couple things I've noticed about Koreans while I was stationed there:
1. They are workaholics. No wonder everyone over there smokes and drinks hard…. ;o)
2. When they pick up a hobby, they go all out.
Some of the most inefficient people on earth…perhaps if they actually worked during their "work day" instead of shamming, they would see things differently. Actually, during "work" is when Koreans drink most of their soju and go to "entertainment" establishments, all part of "business as usual." Who would want to cut that short by spending time with family? Certainly not the Koreans.
The long work-week and hours is a legacy of the Japanese occupation. It's hard for Koreans to shake off the shackles of their beloved masters, especially when the existential emptiness compels Koreans to nervous distraction through work, drinking, and tea-girls.
Any Westerner who takes a month long vacation can sympathize with the stress Koreans feel during leisure time — they need the structure for their own sanity.
I dread to think of the substitute addictions GI would pick up — if he ever gave up blogging.
Actually the only thing blogging has cut into is the time I spend playing Civ III and Rise of Nations on my PC.
Ahaa! A nerd with dreams of world dominance. Power is the greatest addiction of all