IIn central Seoul, in front of the iconic Gyeongbokgung Palace, dozens of people of all ages sat on wet yoga mats and stared into space. Some were dressed in the uniforms of doctors and dentists, while others were dressed in the attire of office workers and students. Welcome to the international “space race”.
The rule is simple: do nothing. However, falling asleep will result in disqualification. Organizers monitor participants’ heart rates; the contestant with the most stable heart rate wins.
The space race was started by local artist Woopsyang in 2014 and has grown in popularity over the years. The show, described as visual art, aims to create a mini-city of people doing nothing while busy at work, conveying the message that doing nothing is not a waste of time.
South Korea is known for its harsh work culture, with some of the longest working hours among developed nations. Despite the introduction of a 52-hour work week limit in 2018, overwork and burnout are still common. In 2023, the government proposed increasing the maximum working week to 69 hours, sparking strong opposition and eventually being abandoned.
Students also face intense pressure to live in a so-called “education boom,” characterized by long hours of studying and attending private colleges in hopes of getting into a prestigious university and landing a job at one of the country’s top companies.
A 2022 government survey of people aged 19-34 found that one-third of young people have experienced occupational burnout in the past year. The reasons include career anxiety (37.6%), work overload (21.1%), and Work doubt (14.0%) and work-life imbalance rate were 12.4%.
Against this backdrop, Sunday’s event was an opportunity for a respite. The competition has previously been held in Tokyo, Taipei, Beijing, Rotterdam and other cities. This year’s contestants come from France, Nepal, South Africa, Vietnam, Malaysia and other countries at home and abroad.
The rain did not deter participants, with most using umbrellas and disposable ponchos. Some lay flat on the ground and stared at the sky, while others adopted meditative poses. Some wore traditional Korean clothing, including a “gat” hat, a symbol of upper class society in the pre-industrial era, when leisure time was often associated with aristocrats and literati.
“In a way, this provides ideal conditions for space activities,” the host said.
First-place winner Valentina Vilches, who is originally from Chile but now lives in South Korea and works as a counselor, said she came here to have fun but also wanted to share her experiences with patients.
“I want to remind them of the importance of keeping distance and relaxing, and how this can have a positive impact on your mental health,” she said after receiving the golden trophy, whose shape was inspired by South Korea’s national treasure Rodin’s “The Thinker and Shen Si”. “Bodhisattva”.
Kim Ki-kyung, a South Korean office worker who was nearly late for work Sunday morning after being forced to go to work, said it was a small chance to catch his breath.
“Korean society is very competitive, so sometimes doing nothing is necessary,” he said.
“I think we’ve forgotten how to do that.”
