They say the daily commute in South Korea is the longest in the world — an average of about 1 hour and 48 minutes each way. That’s 40 minutes more than the global average of 1 hour 08 minutes.
According to the Korea Herald, a 34-year-old man named Lee Han‑soo says his door-to-desk commute takes nearly 2½ hours every day.
Researchers warn that such long travel times can lead to social isolation (사회적 고립), less time with family, and increased fatigue.
If you live in the Seoul area and spend a lot of time commuting, maybe it’s worth checking your work / home balance.
Vocabulary:
- 통근 — tong-geun — commuting
- 평균 — pyeong-gyun — average
- 세계 — se-gye — world
- 사회적 고립 — sa-hoe-jeok go-rip — social isolation
- 피로 — pi-ro — fatigue / tiredness
- 출퇴근 시간 — chul-toe-geun si-gan — commuting time
