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According to a 2024 survey in South Korea, about ** percent of respondents reported feeling stressed at work over the past two weeks.

Stressful working life

The working culture in South Korea is characterized by long hours, hierarchical structures, and high expectations. This culture has contributed to the stressful working life prevalent in the country, with nearly out of 10 people between 20 and 59 years old reporting that they felt stressed at work as of 2024. The working environment and the type of work can lead to different stress levels; for instance, an occupation-wise breakdown of stress levels in South Korea showed that people working as clerks reported feeling more than as stressed at work as those working in the agriculture, forestry, and fishery sector.

Long working hours

In recent years, the average monthly working hours for employees in the country have gradually decreased. Despite this, South Korea still had the fifth-longest average annual working hours among OECD countries in 2022. The government has taken several steps to reduce long working hours and promote work-life balance. However, these efforts have had limited success in alleviating stress levels and improving overall work-life balance.