Searching for work-life balance in South Korea

Ear to Asia

South Korea has a reputation for very long work hours. Despite laws limiting the working week to 40 hours, overtime is rampant, fueled by a culture of "more is better." This relentless pace has resulted in overwork-related deaths and has played a part in South Korea having the world's lowest fertility rate. At the same time, the tradition of lifetime employment is fading, exacerbating job insecurity for many. So how did a work culture that puts such pressure on workers come to be? How can South Koreans find a way to a healthier work-life balance? And what needs to change in order to foster family growth while maintaining the nation's high standard of living? Human resource management researchers Assoc. Prof. Daejeong Choi from the University of Melbourne and Assoc. Prof. Sunghoon Kim of the University of Sydney Business School examine the complex dynamics underlying South Korea's work-life imbalance with presenter Sami Shah. An Asia Institute podcast. Produced and edited by profactual.com. Music by audionautix.com.