Stress level at work South Korea 2022

According to a survey conducted in South Korea in 2022, about 62.2 percent of the respondents answered that they felt stressed at work during the past two weeks. Although the workplace stress level of South Koreans decreased by 5.9 percent compared to two years ago, it was higher than the level of stress from their general or family life.

Stressful working life

The working culture in South Korea is characterized by long hours, hierarchical structures, and high expectations. This culture has contributed to a stressful working life present in the country, with nearly seven out of 10 people between 20 and 59 years old saying they felt stressed at work as of 2022. 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 twice as stressed at work as those working in the agriculture, forestry, and fishery sector.

Long working hours

The rapid growth of South Korea's economy into one of the largest in Asia has, among other reasons, led to an increase in working hours. In recent years, the average monthly working hours of employees in the country have experienced a slow but steady decline. Despite this, South Korea had the fifth longest annual average working hours among the OECD countries in 2022. The government has implemented several measures to address long working hours and improve work-life balance. For example, in 2018, the maximum weekly working hours for an employee were set to 52.