A 42-year-old public employee in Suwon, Gyeonggi Province, starts his Saturday by turning on the television from his bed with the remote control. He then falls back asleep while zapping through the channels. Sometimes, his two daughters drag him out to the playground but he soon returns home and sits in front of the TV.
"Even if I try to do something with my family, there isn't much to do", said the man, who asked that his name not be used. "My wife often nags me about spending so much time watching TV".
Koreans spend the majority of their leisure time watching TV, according to the Korean General Social Survey conducted by Sungkyunkwan University's Academy of East Asian Studies. Eighteen universities across the country participated in the survey, which polled 1,457 adults from June to August last year.
Among leisure activities, watching TV or DVDs topped the list, with a score of 4.6 out of 5. Listening to music (3.7), talking on the phone (3.6), surfing the Internet (3.4), exercising (3.3) and meeting with friends (3.2) followed.
"As the country has experienced fast industrialization, people are not used to enjoying their leisure time", said Yang Jong-hoe, a sociology professor at Sungkyunkwan. "These days, some young people spend their spare time doing diverse activities such as traveling, enjoying cultural performances and more, but they are still a minority".
A 43-year-old office worker in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province, also spends his weekend in front of the tube. When the five-day workweek started in 2004, he and his family used to take short trips out of the city every weekend. "It's hard to go somewhere every weekend as it costs a lot", said the man, who refused to be identified. "I feel more tired and stressed on the weekend because I can't satisfy my family. My son, who goes to kindergarten, always wants to go out on weekends".
On average, respondents rated their satisfaction with their leisure activities as 53 out of 100. According to the National Statistical Office data, 78 percent said they were not satisfied with their leisure activities last year, up from 68 percent in 2000 and 72 percent in 2004.
"Because Koreans tend to focus on resting, they do not find ways to actively enjoy their spare time", said Koh Dong-woo, a tourism management professor at Daegu University.
US$5 off (order min. US$5) Coupon code HANSTYLE Get a $10 off $20 order coupon, for first purchase and for HanCinema members only, so sign up, and get the coupon here
