South Korea: Office workers head to relaxation parlours

South Korean office workers need no longer sleep at their desks

Stressed-out office workers are spending their lunch hours asleep in special relaxation parlours in the South Korean capital Seoul, it's been reported.

According to the Chosun Ilbo daily, the establishments are increasing in popularity in the city's business areas, and allow people to relax or take power naps. While some parlours have airline-style reclining seats, others are equipped with hammocks or massage chairs, and always seem to be packed around lunchtimes, the paper says. The relaxation parlours save workers from sleeping in the office, according to one user quoted by Chosun Ilbo: "I used to get some sleep hunched over on my desk at work or sitting on the toilet in the men's room, but here I can lie down and rest much more comfortably."

South Koreans work some of the longest hours in the developed world, and work-related stress is a major concern in the country. A survey by the OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development) this year found that South Koreans work an average of 2,163 hours every year, compared with 1,388 hours worked in Germany. In its own survey, government-run Statistics Korea found that over 80% of workers feel tired, especially in the 20-40 age group. Speaking to Chosun Ilbo, academic Lee Eun-hee said: "The fact that young people, who should be the most active, are desperate for rest demonstrates just how much fatigue Korean society is experiencing."

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