TL;DR

Workation: for work-life balance

9:00 AM.

The weather's nice today, so I set up my laptop near the beach and started work.

Didn't forget to join the morning scrum online. When coworker A mentioned finally going into the office, I suggested we grab lunch next week when I'm back in Seoul. Nice way to wrap up the meeting.

Lunch.

Just a quick bike ride into town and I'm at theChodang sundubu spot I hit last time. Fresh tofu = pure happiness. Absolutely delicious.

2:30 PM.

The workation program's yoga session — just 10 minutes mid-afternoon, super simple. The breeze feels like it's clearing my head. My deadline's not tight, but I'm feeling good enough to push ahead faster. I'll move to the co-working space after this and really focus. The quicker I finish, the more time I have for myself.

5:40 PM.

Finished today's tasks faster than expected. And the feedback's even better than before. Makes sense when you think about it. The office scatters your attention — you end up burning hours. It's good for "being around people" and collaboration, maybe, but when you need creativity, it feels stifling. Out here on a workation, I can focus entirely on 'my work.' Same tasks, way more fun. I'll wrap up by organizing tomorrow's references.

7:30 PM.

BBQ and networking night on the beach. Curious to meet the folks sharing this space — video editors, graphic designers, product managers, content creators, developers. Different domains, but every conversation's interesting just because of that variety.

10:00 PM.

Decided to turn in early tonight. That yoga session earlier was great — I'm signing up for the early morning one tomorrow. Looks like rain starts tomorrow evening, though. Might skip the neighborhood tour.

The above is a day in the life of Manager Noh, who's blending work and vacation through workation.

Manager Noh didn't start the day staring at dull concrete buildings, but near the open sea. Thanks to that afternoon yoga session, his focus never wavered, and he wrapped up high-quality work in a calm environment.

This is what happens when you combine always-on remote work with a 'workation stipend' benefit from the company.

Can workation really let you have work and vacation?

Busy, busy modern life!

We love to remind ourselves that Korea has one of the longest working hours in the OECD. Finding time for yourself — real vacation time — is no joke.

Quick weekend getaways leave you more tired than rested. Week-long breaks? You dread coming back to the pile of work waiting for you. Some managers even call employees during vacation to check on tasks. No wonder we compulsively check work messages even while we're supposedly "off." When work and life are forced apart, the gap crushes any real sense of 'vacation.'

Not a tourism product — it's the new normal for work

Three years ago, working from home seemed unimaginable. Home was for rest. The office was for work. Two totally different worlds.

Then COVID-19 hit. Governments and companies pushed social distancing and remote work. We scrambled into home offices with zero preparation. At first, families weren't used to it either — interruptions during Zoom calls, awkward moments.

Now, many companies realize that 'how' you work matters more than 'where.' The work doesn't have to happen in the office. Employee efficiency and satisfaction actually went up. Some companies now operate on permanent remote work. And employees are turning that flexibility into 'workation.'

Workation — work + vacation — goes beyond simple remote work. It's a new way of working that lets you balance productivity with leisure. It helps maintain work-life balance, boosts creativity, sharpens focus, and makes better use of your time.

K-Workation

Korea's particularly well-suited for workation, analysts say:

  1. Top-tier IT infrastructure nationwide — no dead zones for connectivity.

    • (Remote work is feasible from anywhere)

  2. Fast transit via KTX — the entire country is within a half-day's travel.

    • (Easy to toggle between office and workation)

  3. High acceptance of remote and smart work (flexible work styles using ICT to work anytime, anywhere).

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Korea Tourism Organization have even launched pilot workation programs. Interest keeps growing.

The virtuous cycle of workation

Shrinking rural populations make local governments hesitant about policy decisions. So the Ministry of the Interior introduced the concept of 'living population' — people who attend school, work, or visit and stay in a region for tourism or leisure, even if they don't officially reside there.

Source: Korea Tourism Organization
Source: Korea Tourism Organization

Local governments see workation as a way to boost floating populations — an effect comparable to attracting corporate HQs. According to a Korea Tourism Organization study on activating workation, Korea's workation market could generate ₩4.5 trillion in production and create 27,000 jobs.

Workation represents a new form of tourism — capturing long-stay guests and reviving stagnant demand.

What are the government and companies doing?

Government and local authorities are rolling out support programs. Gangwon Tourism Organization signed a workation partnership with Seoul Business Agency. Jeju built a dedicated workation center. Busan signed agreements with Songjeong Beach and Hanwha Resorts. Chungnam held tourism foundation workshops on workation infrastructure. Local competition is fierce.

The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs announced a comprehensive plan to support rural migration — including letting IT companies use rural areas for short-term workation spaces to boost employment and startups. Workation is emerging as a key solution for revitalizing rural priority regions.

So the government's getting ready. But what about Korean companies?

Tax-tech startup Jarvis & Villains offered employees ₩3.03 million to workation at a resort of their choice for one month between June and August — a recharge incentive from leadership. Travel startup MyRealTrip eliminated location restrictions starting this year. Employees can work anywhere domestically or internationally, as long as they're available during core communication hours.

Even big corporations are changing. Naver, Korea's top IT platform, offers up to 4 nights / 5 days of workation at its Chuncheon or Tokyo base camps. CJ ENM introduced a Jeju month-long-stay workation program.

Remote work and workation are being recognized as employee rights. Some companies provide it as a benefit. Workation is also a talent acquisition strategy for modern companies.

Preview: workation-ready stays

As governments and companies gear up for workation, demand for suitable accommodations is rising. Here are some top domestic stays for workation:

(Curated picks — if you're planning a workation, start here.)

Sea breezes, crashing waves, brilliant sunlight everywhere you look. Located in Haeundae-gu, so famous restaurants and aesthetic cafés are all within reach.

https://site.onda.me/131328/reservations

The photo alone feels expansive. Blue skies and striking architecture soothe the soul. A private pension — you get the whole building, spacious yard and all. Perfect for families, couples, or groups of friends doing workation together.

https://booking.onda.me/property/121951

Looking to workation near Seoul? Try Chuncheon's Querencia. River-view accommodation overlooking Bukhangang, just 5 minutes from Nami Island. Newly built, so it's spotless — and at night, you get serene views of the river blending with quiet ambiance.

https://site.onda.me/123604/reservations

Nordic-style rooms with an exotic vibe at this hotel & resort. Exciting water sports and live performances shake off daily monotony, while mountain views and calm lakes offer true rest for the weary.

http://clubinner.com/default/reservation/sub2.php?top=5&sub=2

A cultural heritage home, carefully preserved for over 100 years. Officially registered with the Ministry of Culture as a hanok experience lodging. Exposed rafters on every ceiling, and rooms built with health-boosting red clay. At Yusunje, you can feel the rejuvenating breeze that carries nature's energy.

https://site.onda.me/126375/reservations