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.

This story is from the May 28, 2024 edition of The Guardian.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

This story is from the May 28, 2024 edition of The Guardian.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

MORE STORIES FROM THE GUARDIANView All
Unpaid carers 'It's been tough but politicians don't offer much'
The Guardian

Unpaid carers 'It's been tough but politicians don't offer much'

Hilary Osborne looks at the struggle for family members who look after relatives, while Minreet Kaur writes about her own experience

time-read
6 mins  |
June 29, 2024
Trevor McDonald was face of now-shelved NatWest share sale
The Guardian

Trevor McDonald was face of now-shelved NatWest share sale

A \"Tell Sid\"-style ad campaign featuring Sir Trevor McDonald was filmed to promote the government's now shelved plan to sell state-owned NatWest shares to the public, the Guardian can reveal.

time-read
1 min  |
June 29, 2024
The carbon cost of AI Green goals hit hard by drive to develop technology
The Guardian

The carbon cost of AI Green goals hit hard by drive to develop technology

If you want evidence of Microsoft's progress towards its environmental \"moonshot\" goal, look closer to Earth: at a building site in west London.

time-read
3 mins  |
June 29, 2024
Tackle climate crisis and social injustice at the same time, Caroline Lucas tells Labour
The Guardian

Tackle climate crisis and social injustice at the same time, Caroline Lucas tells Labour

Labour must combine tackling the climate crisis with pursuing social justice, if elected, to show achieving net zero will not be done \"on the backs of the poor\", the former Green party MP Caroline Lucas has warned.

time-read
3 mins  |
June 29, 2024
Fighting talk The 82-year-old dedicated to teaching India's oldest martial art to women
The Guardian

Fighting talk The 82-year-old dedicated to teaching India's oldest martial art to women

Today the pupils are schoolchildren, mostly aged from seven up to teenagers.

time-read
1 min  |
June 29, 2024
'I don't leave my flat' The Ukrainians hiding or fleeing to avoid the frontline
The Guardian

'I don't leave my flat' The Ukrainians hiding or fleeing to avoid the frontline

The autumn cannot arrive soon enough for Dmytro, when his handlers have promised to get him out of Ukraine.

time-read
4 mins  |
June 29, 2024
'It will be tight' Centrists make final effort to shore up support
The Guardian

'It will be tight' Centrists make final effort to shore up support

Standing in a courtyard framed by the white walls of one of Marseille's Armenian churches, Sabrina AgrestiRoubache, France's secretary of state tasked with citizenship, took a deep breath, choosing her words carefully as she addressed a voter who had admitted that she was considering switching to the far right.

time-read
4 mins  |
June 29, 2024
Man accused of Holly Willoughby plot spent '99.9% of time online'
The Guardian

Man accused of Holly Willoughby plot spent '99.9% of time online'

A man accused of plotting to rape and murder Holly Willoughby has told a court he spent 99.9% of his time online as he struggled with mental health problems triggered by his lifethreatening weight gain.

time-read
2 mins  |
June 29, 2024
Rushed, half-baked Has The Bear gone off the boil?
The Guardian

Rushed, half-baked Has The Bear gone off the boil?

The first season of award-winning TV drama The Bear was incredibly stylish, overwhelmingly propulsive and filled with characters you found yourself rooting for.

time-read
2 mins  |
June 29, 2024
Britain's gardeners embrace pond life as demand for aquatic plants grows
The Guardian

Britain's gardeners embrace pond life as demand for aquatic plants grows

Apond boom is happening in Britain's gardens as people try to halt biodiversity loss by digging water sources for amphibians and other aquatic life.

time-read
2 mins  |
June 29, 2024