Seoulites want to work fewer hours, take more time for leisure: Survey

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Seoulites want to work fewer hours, take more time for leisure: Survey

Published: 04 Mar. 2026, 15:27 Updated: 04 Mar. 2026, 17:37

Audio report: written by reporters, read by AI

Morning commuters head to their offices in Gwanghwamun, central Seoul, on Feb. 19. [YONHAP]

A majority of Seoul's residents support the introduction of a 4.5-day workweek, according to the results of a city survey released on Wednesday.

The report also found that around 40 percent of respondents currently feel too busy with work to enjoy leisure activities.

The Seoul Metropolitan Government’s 2025 Seoul Survey, published on Wednesday, is an annual statistical survey that has been conducted since 2003 to monitor residents’ quality of life, values and social perceptions to help guide city administration.

According to the survey, Seoul residents’ satisfaction with their leisure life fell to 5.67 points last year from 5.81 points in 2024. Among those dissatisfied with their leisure life, the most common reason cited was “lack of time,” chosen by 39.2 percent of respondents.

This trend was particularly noticeable among people in their 30s and 40s, those with college degrees and white-collar workers.

The share of respondents who said they had a good work-life balance fell from 37.8 percent to 29.9 percent over the same period. Meanwhile, the share who said they were focusing more on work increased from 33.8 percent to 43.4 percent — a rise of nearly 10 percentage points.

Morning commuters head to their offices in Gwanghwamun, central Seoul, on Feb. 19. [NEWS1]

The city government said the results suggest that more Seoul residents are feeling overwhelmed by work.

Long working hours have also influenced attitudes toward working-hour policies. A majority of respondents, 54.5 percent, said they support the introduction of a 4.5-day workweek, which was 5.5 percentage points higher than the 49-percent share that supported a four-day workweek.

The most expected benefit of the 4.5-day workweek was “more time for leisure and hobbies,” cited by 60.8 percent of respondents.

By age group, people in their 30s showed the strongest support for the system at 71.9 percent, followed by those in their 20s at 66.9 percent and those in their 40s at 63.2 percent. In contrast, only 33.9 percent of respondents aged 60 or older supported the policy.

The number of residents with experience using AI services has also increased. A total of 86.3 percent of Seoul residents said they had used AI services. Even among those aged 60 or older, 68.7 percent said they had experience using such services, an indication that AI is spreading across all age groups, the city said.

Among AI services, conversational AI was the most commonly used, cited by 60 percent of respondents. AI translation services and automated recommendations for content and products followed at 48.2 percent and 45 percent, respectively.

Office workers take a stroll in Gwanghwamun, central Seoul, on May 20, 2025. [YONHAP]

The survey also examined residents’ perceptions of housing in old age. When asked where they would prefer to live in retirement if they remain healthy, 43.3 percent said they would like to continue living in their current homes. Even if their health deteriorated, the largest share — 30.9 percent — said they still preferred their current residence.

The survey found that 87 percent of respondents said they were preparing financially for retirement, roughly nine out of 10 residents. The most common methods were public pensions at 71.4 percent, bank savings at 56.2 percent and insurance at 40.5 percent.

The city said the findings show that, amid structural changes as Korea becomes a super-aged society, Seoul residents increasingly see preparing for old age as a present task rather than a distant future concern.

The survey was conducted through in-person interviews with 20,000 households in Seoul, online and household interviews with 5,000 residents and face-to-face interviews with 2,500 foreign residents.

Kang Ok-hyeon, director general of the Seoul Metropolitan Government’s digital city bureau, said the survey helped identify residents’ views on structural changes such as labor issues, digital transformation and a super-aged society.

“We will reflect these changes in public perception in the policy design process to ensure city administration provides practical help to residents,” Kang said.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY MOON HEE-CHUL [[email protected]]