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Free food, fun photo booths and fantastic lunch views: Companies get creative with employee motivation

Published: 17 Mar. 2026, 16:17 Updated: 17 Mar. 2026, 16:33

A free employee-only convenience store is located at the APR headquarters in Lotte World Tower in Songpa District, southern Seoul. [APR]

Free food. Photos with your friends. A cheap nail salon.

No, these aren't aspects of a new government initiative. They're part of a concept that is creeping into Korean office life as management looks for new ways to motivate employees.

Beauty firm APR operates a free convenience store at its headquarters. Dongwon Group, a Korean food and fisheries conglomerate, placed its company cafeteria on the top floor of its building for employees to enjoy a panoramic view of the city, while CJ Olive Young employees can get their nails done for the price of a coffee — part of a broader effort to design offices that boost comfort and creativity.

At the APR main office, located in Lotte World Tower in Songpa District, southern Seoul, employees have access to a staffless convenience store where everything is free. Four large refrigerators and three freezers are stocked with ready-to-eat meals such as fried chicken, dumplings, salads and bread as well as drinks. Employees help themselves whenever they want.

“It’s nice to be able to work without skipping meals,” an employee said.

The beauty company also operates a photo booth inside the office called “Photo Grey,” which is equipped with wigs, sunglasses and other props. At the company cafe, meanwhile, drinks can be ordered through a dedicated mobile app, a system designed to accommodate baristas with limited hearing. All for free.

A free photo booth is available for APR employees in its headquarters located in Lotte World Tower in Songpa District, southern Seoul. [APR]

“The average age of our employees is 29, so creating an immersive work environment is directly tied to corporate competitiveness,” an APR representative said.

Some companies are also challenging the literal vertical organization of a corporate office, moving the company cafeteria from the basement, as is standard in Korean corporate buildings.

Dongwon Group placed its cafeteria on the top floor of its headquarters in Seocho District, southern Seoul, reflecting the philosophy of founder Kim Jae-cheol, honorary chairman of Dongwon Group, who believed that the space employees use every day should have the best view.

“One of the best parts of the day is enjoying the view while eating,” an employee said.

The company has also turned the entire 10th floor into a creative and relaxation space called “W Square,” where employees can sit anywhere and work or take a break. The concept, implemented in September of last year, was proposed by employees.

An employee gets their nails done at the employee-only nail salon inside CJ OliveYoung headquarters in Yongsan District, central Seoul. [CJ OLIVEYOUNG]

At CJ Olive Young's headquarters in the KDB Life Tower in Yongsan District, central Seoul, the 24th floor houses an employee-only nail salon. The salon operates by reservation after work hours, and employees pay 3,000 won ($2) per session, significantly cheaper than outside salons, paid for directly from the month's salary.

“Getting professional nail care at the office is a great morale booster,” one employee said. “It also saves time since we don’t have to visit salons outside the office.”

The same floor also features a music room where employees can enjoy vinyl records.

Other companies are also differentiating their break rooms, cafes and fitness centers.

Private break rooms are available at the Emart headquarters in Jung District, central Seoul. [E-MART]

At Emart's headquarters in Jung District, central Seoul, the first-floor lounge features individual rooms equipped with massage chairs and blackout curtains.

Kolmar Korea, a cosmetics and pharmaceutical manufacturing company, operates book cafes at 14 business sites, including its Integrated Technology Institute in Seocho District in southern Seoul. The cafe houses 16,000 books. The company has received “Excellent Workplace for Reading Management in Korea” certification for four consecutive years since 2022.

GS Retail, a major convenience store and retail operator, has equipped its GS Gangseo N Tower office in Yeongdeungpo District, western Seoul, with an indoor walking track in front of the employee fitness center on the second floor. Employees can walk or jog along the green-carpeted path early in the morning or during lunch breaks, making it especially popular on days when the weather or air quality is poor.

“The main stage for K-beauty and retail has expanded to the global market, making employee creativity more important than ever,” Lee Jong-woo, a professor in the Department of Retail Marketing at Namseoul University, said. “Companies are increasingly adopting global corporate culture and recognizing the importance of spaces that encourage fresh ideas from employees.”

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 LIM SUN-YOUNG [[email protected]]