The worldsee

  The 4-Day Workweek: A Pipe Dream or an Inevitable Future for Korea? Around the globe, the 4-day workweek has moved from a radical fantasy to a proven business strategy. Companies in the UK, Japan, and New Zealand have trialed it, reporting a stunning rise in productivity, a plunge in employee burnout , and a surge in job satisfaction. But when this conversation turns to South Korea, it's often met with a skeptical laugh. This is, after all, a nation famous for having some of the longest working hours in the developed world , a country where 'ppalli-ppalli' (빨리빨리, hurry-hurry) is a motto and overtime ( yageun , 야근) is often a given. Yet, as we stand here in late 2025, the conversation is no longer a joke. It's a serious debate. A fundamental shift in values, led by a new generation, is colliding with one of the world's most entrenched work cultures. The question is no longer if Korea wants a 4-day workweek, but if its powerful economic and social structures can...