1 in 4 Korean workers extend Chuseok holiday with paid leave: survey

Chuseok is one of South Korea’s two biggest traditional holidays, bringing families together under the full moon to wish for a bountiful harvest and honor ancestors.

But for hardworking ordinary people in Korea, the holiday's true significance perhaps lies in the rare opportunity it offers for people to escape the daily grind of their jobs.

A recent survey conducted by a recruitment platform found that approximately one in four employees -- 25.7 percent -- plan on strategically sandwiching the holiday together with paid leave days to secure an extended break. The survey polled 1,055 workers online Sept. 3-4.

This year, Chuseok falls on Tuesday, Sept. 17, creating a three-day public holiday stretching from Monday to Wednesday. This means that with additional days off on Thursday and Friday, workers can enjoy an extended nine-day break.

However, the survey showed most people cannot afford to take advantage of this opportunity, with 57.3 percent responding they will not be taking any additional day off.

When asked about the reasons, 33.6 percent cited having too much work to do, while nearly half answered they can't take extra time off because they either feel pressure from their colleagues -- 20.7 percent -- or lack a work environment that encourages work-life balance, at 27.8 percent.

The survey also laid bare the significant disparities in paid leave access that persist within the country’s workforce.

A full 60 percent of those who planned to use at least one paid leave day to extend their Chuseok break worked for large corporations. In contrast, only 37.5 percent of those who reported having this opportunity were small business employees, a discrepancy likely due to the combination of leaner staffing at smaller companies and the absence of guidelines ensuring employees can use their annual leave at will.

When asked about their holiday plans, 40.2 percent of workers said they plan simply to rest at home, while only 21 percent had plans to travel abroad.

Meanwhile, 35.5 percent of respondents reported that they would be receiving holiday bonuses from their employers, with payouts averaging about 838,000 won ($625).