Korean Job Discussion Forums

Real Reality · Joined: 10 Jan 2003 Location: Seoul

Koreans to Opt for Shorter Vacations: Poll
With the five-day workweek in force, employees are taking fewer days for vacation. Among employees who plan to go on a summer vacation, a survey revealed that 40 percent of them are thinking of taking only three days off.

The reason why so many people would take fewer days for vacation than in the past was that weekends have been lengthened due to the five-day workweek, and that instead of the fixed periodical vacation system, the flexible free vacation system that enables workers to choose the dates they want to take vacation is growing more popular.

As for where they would go, 58.4 percent chose "leisure-type" vacations, saying they would go to the mountains or beaches. Those into the "well-being" trend -- 20.4 percent -- said they would go "woods bathing" in the forest or take a break at hotels or resorts. "Traveling abroad" came in third with 9.6 percent of the votes.
Chosun Ilbo (June 20, 2005)
http://english.chosun.com/w21data/html/news/200506/200506200025.html

eamo · Joined: 08 Mar 2003 Location: Shepherd's Bush, 1964.

Ties in with my theory that Koreans don't know what to do with themselves on days off other than follow the stampede to where everyone else is going. This means sitting in huge traffic jams most of the day with moaning kids in the car.

So, I believe, a lot of Koreans actually see a workday as preferable to a day off.

I didn't hear one Korean complain during the period from Chuseok to Christmas 2004. That was a four-month period without a single holiday which fell on a weekday. 5-day weeks for 4 months. When I complained that it was rather a long time to go without a day off Koreans would smile and shrug it off. They didn't care much.

Bulsajo · Joined: 16 Jan 2003

Sleepy in Seoul · Posted: Tue Jun 21, 2005 6:49 am Post subject:

When I was in the Police, I used to get 6 weeks a year. I once saved up for 2 years and took 3 months off and went to Europe. Not to mention as much sick leave as required... and to think, instead of having to put up with that decadence, I could have been tripping the light fantastic here taking a leisurely 3 days off twice a year. I shudder to think of the things I have missed in my life.