A recent survey shows that over 60 percent of South Korean office workers are in favor of introducing a four-day workweek. Commissioned by Rep. Park Hong-bae, a member of the National Assembly’s Environment and Labor Committee, the survey was conducted by Global Research Aug. 1-9 and polled 1,000 office workers.
The results indicate that 63.2 percent of respondents support introducing a 4-day workweek. Among the age groups, workers in their 20s showed the highest approval rate at 74.2 percent, followed by those in their 30s (71.4 percent), 40s (59.9 percent) and 50s (55.3 percent).
Additionally, the survey found that 68.1 percent of respondents favor changing the current statutory workweek from 40 hours to approximately 35 or 36 hours.
Furthermore, 74.3 percent agreed with expanding legal annual leave to 20 or 25 days. Meanwhile, 66.6 percent expressed support for reducing the hours that can be worked overtime in a week.
These findings highlight a strong desire for greater work-life balance among office workers in South Korea, particularly amid the low birth rates and industrial change the country is facing.