Busy doing nothing A chance to space out in hectic Korea
The Guardian|May 28, 2024
In central Seoul, in front of the famous Gyeongbokgung palace, dozens of people of all ages sit on rain-soaked yoga mats, staring into space Some are dressed in doctors' and dentists' uniforms, while others wear the attire of office workers and students. Welcome to the international "space-out competition".
Raphael Rashid
Busy doing nothing A chance to space out in hectic Korea

The rules are simple: do absolutely nothing. Falling asleep, however, leads to disqualification.

Organisers monitor the participants' heart rates; the contestant with the most stable heart rate wins.

Started in 2014 by the local artist Woopsyang, the spaceout competition has grown in popularity over the years.

Described as visual art, the performance aims to create a minicity of people doing nothing amid those busy at work, driving home the message that doing nothing is not a waste of time.

South Korea is known for its punishing work culture, with some of the longest hours in the developed world. Despite the introduction of the 52-hour weekly work limit in 2018, overwork and exhaustion are still not uncommon.

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