Seoulites have more free time but do less cultural activities amid pandemic: survey

Seoul citizens had more free time but engaged in fewer cultural activities last year due to the coronavirus pandemic, a survey showed Monday.

The average Seoulite had 3.6 hours of free time on weekdays and 6.5 hours on weekends, up 0.4 hour (12 percent) and 0.5 hour (8 percent), respectively, from 2018, according to the survey by the Seoul Foundation for Arts and Culture (SFAC).

The foundation attributed the increase to reduced travel time due to remote working and fewer group activities and group meals.

The survey was conducted on 6,413 people living in Seoul from Jan. 11 to Feb. 10 this year.

It also showed that the pandemic sharply reduced people's cultural activities in terms of going to movie theaters, concerts and museums.

The average Seoul citizen went to cultural events 4.2 times last year, down 38 percent from 6.8 times in 2018. The average amount of money spent on such activities also dropped by the same percentage from 120,000 won (US$106) to 74,000 won per year over the same period.

The decrease in both categories stood out among people in their 60s and above, and in visits to movie theaters and festivals.

Asked whether they participated in cultural events that were switched online due to the pandemic, nearly 4 out of 10 respondents said they did, with about half of them saying they were satisfied with the experiences.

In listing the shortcomings of online events, 38.5 percent cited a lack of a sense of reality, followed by the poor quality of picture and sound at 19.6 percent. (Yonhap)