Embassy of the Republic of Korea to Norway

Korea’s 24-Hour Culture

Mira Dahl Aspeli

A common sight once one visits Korea is the wide variety of stores, restaurants, and places that are open 24‐hours a day. This is a practicality that both foreigners and Koreans living in Korea enjoy.

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Before 1982, Korea had a curfew from midnight to 4am. This decade‐old rule was reportedly for maintaining safety and social order after World War 2. However, the issue of a night curfew came into debate in 1981, when Seoul was chosen to host the Olympics.

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After the abolition of the curfew, some have argued that the late‐night hours have become “labor hours,” and not “time” or “silent hours”. While writing a paper on the development and reorganization of social time in the 1980s, Kim Hak‐sun cited statistics and explained that the average working hours of people with jobs had increased from 7.02 hours in 1981 to 7.40 hours in 1987. This meant that the free time decreased from 3.33 hours in 1981 to 3.25 hours.

The life of a Korean citizen is usually extremely busy. It is not uncommon for a person to juggle academics, work, and personal life, something that has been made easier with the 24hour culture. With about 10 million people living in just Seoul, it’s a given that people have a variety of interests and sleeping habits as well.

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Considering that the 24‐hour operation offers a lot of convenience to consumers as a service , it is certainly no wonder that foreigners who visit the country are awed with the practicality of this. It is not only practical that convenience stores are open 24‐hours because one can easily get the needed necessities at any time of the day, but the possibilities for part‐time jobs and social life are therefore varied and well established. When restaurants, karaoke rooms, PC rooms, convenience stores, coffee shops, and other similar establishments have a 24 opening‐hour, it creates workplaces which in turn gives the citizens more possibilities.

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The food at Korean convenience stores are of much higher quality than many might assume while thinking about their home country’s convenience store food. They provide basic food, water, ATM services and chances to reload your T‐money card. Most cafes have free Wi‐Fi and offer a comfortable space to relax or work on projects related to work or studies. PC rooms and karaoke rooms are also a great way to stay social and release stress.

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If you decide to visit Korea, no matter what time of a day, be assured that you can find necessities when you arrive, and you also have places to spend your time while adjusting to the new time schedule.

Sources:

[1] https://n.news.naver.com/article/001/0011451869

[2] https://www.asiae.co.kr/article/2019052713550071219