Published : Aug. 22, 2022 - 18:19
2019 Hangang Space-out Competition (Seoul Metropolitan Government)
The Hangang Space-out Competition is returning to the banks of the Han River after a two-year break.
The Sept. 4 event will crown a champion who can remain the “most stable” while staring into space for 90 minutes.
The competition, hosted by the Seoul Metropolitan Government in collaboration with the event’s founder, Woopsyang, aims to show people the relaxing value of doing nothing, challenging the idea that spacing out is a waste of time.
This year, in particular, participants can watch the Moonlight Rainbow Fountain at Jamsu Bridge, which has been temporarily transformed into a pedestrian-only bridge.
Participants are not allowed to eat, sleep or speak during the competition. Instead, they can hold up a colored card to signal their needs: red for a massage when feeling sleepy, blue for water, yellow for fanning and black for other requirements.
2019 Hangang Space-out Competition (Seoul Metropolitan Government)
The top three contestants will be selected based on heart rate data, measured every 15 minutes, and a vote by spectators at the site. Those who are maintaining a stable heart rate or showing a gradual downward curve will receive extra points.
A total of 50 teams will be chosen for the competition, with a maximum of three participants per team. Contestants will be selected based on their motivation for participation, with age, gender and occupation taken into consideration.
Applications are open through Sunday on the official website for the Space-out Competition, or on its Instagram and Facebook.
The 2020 and 2021 competitions did not take place due to the pandemic.
By Hwang Dong-hee (
hwangdh@heraldcorp.com)