[EAI Working Paper] A Story of Koreans' Work and Life: Present and Future

Editor's Note

The East Asia Institute (EAI) has conducted four surveys on "Korean Identity" over the past 15 years (2005-2020). As the second report in the third working paper series of the 2020 survey results, titled "Koreans' Life Worlds: Associations, Multiculturalism, Work-Life, and Communication," we have published a working paper authored by Professor Park Sung-min of Sungkyunkwan University. This study diagnoses the quality of life and quality of work life of Koreans coping with the crisis society of COVID-19, and based on this, it derives various implications through quantitative analysis. Furthermore, it discusses the status and necessity of flexible work systems in Korean society from institutional and time-design perspectives, work-life balance and harmony based on experience, and smart work practices and systems.

※ The following is the introduction to this working paper. Please refer to the attached file above for the full text.

I. Introduction

In the era of the new normal, characterized by increasing uncertainty and complexity due to COVID-19, the emergence of digital generations such as Millennials and Gen Z, and the normalization of untact and deep-tact environments, the shift in focus from collective systems to individuals is accelerating, and evolutionary progress is underway. In this context, what is the happiness of life in the time and space in which we live? Can happiness be measured and diagnosed quantitatively or qualitatively? What is the level of happiness in my workplace? Are there no more flexible ways to engage in professional life? (Lee Hyo-joo & Park Sung-min, 2019) Diagnosing and understanding the level of happiness of the Korean people regarding work and life, and predicting and analyzing the attitudes and values towards work and life that future Korean society should pursue, are expected to be very important social responsibilities. In particular, in 2020, the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, amidst discussions on various policies to proactively respond to changes in the global, national, and social environments in the era of the new normal and borderless risk society, the meanings and implications of social capital, quality of life, and happiness among social members need to be continuously and deeply discussed.

While previous studies on Korean identity have examined the trends in the conscious, cultural, ideological, and perceptual changes of Koreans through 15 years of surveys on Korean identity, collecting important evidence and data and providing relevant insights, this "Diversified Society and Integrated Values" section newly includes survey and analysis content on the quality of work and life, and flexible work systems in Korean society. We aim to capture a brief discussion on the lives and happiness of Koreans over the next 15 years, which we envision, anticipate, and pursue. This chapter will first discuss the quality of life (QOL) and quality of work life (QWL) of Koreans in the COVID paradigm. Second, it will continue the discussion on various types of Korean-style flexible work systems by projecting temporal design perspectives and institutional viewpoints. Through this, we will also examine detailed policy aspects related to work-life balance (WLB), smart work, and untact and deep work.

■ Author: Park Sung-min Professor, Department of Public Administration and Graduate School of Governance, Sungkyunkwan University. He received his Ph.D. in Public Administration from the University of Georgia and has held positions such as Assistant Professor at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, and LG Yonam Distinguished Professor at the University of Southern California. He is currently an adjunct professor at the National Human Resources Development Institute and a member of the Innovation Policy Promotion Committee of the Ministry of Personnel Management. His main research areas include public human resource management and organizational management, human resource development, and platform governance. His recent publications include "Do Trust and Culture Matter for Public Service Motivation Development? Evidence from Public Sector Employees in Korea" (2019, co-authored), "An Action-Oriented Analytical Study for Enhancing Public Service Values: Focusing on Verifying the Control Effect of Public Service Motivation" (2019, co-authored), and "A Study on the Motivation Types, Organizational Citizenship Behavior, and Quality of Life of Korean Public Officials" (2018, co-authored).

■ Contact and Editor: Seo Ju-won, EAI Research Fellow

Inquiries: 02 2277 1683 (ext. 206) jwseo@eai.or.kr

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