- an American woman writes about her experiences working at a mid-sized Korean company.
With Christmas less than two weeks away, a layer of holiday sparkle has settled over Seoul. At my office, a gaudy fake Christmas tree quietly appeared in the lobby earlier this month. Work is hectic as everyone tries to meet end-of-the-year deadlines, while looking forward to the potential long weekends coming up after Christmas and New Year’s Day. But one element is decidedly missing from this festive tableau: office holiday parties.
Coming from the U.S., I am accustomed to the sometimes fun, sometimes awkward institution of workplace holiday parties. As a child, each year I looked forward to meeting Santa at the family Christmas party hosted by my parents’ employer. There was a separate, formal ball for adults only, which was notable as being the only occasion on which my dad ever wore a tie. When I grew up and joined the workforce, the annual tradition became an inescapable aspect of working life, to be anticipated with excitement or apathy depending on the job.
For companies across the U.S., the festivities sometimes occur at the office during work hours, but usually take place outside of work at restaurants or hotels. And since most such events are intended for both employees and their significant others–and sometimes kids as well–the typical worker attends multiple parties throughout December and January.
While the main purpose of these parties is to celebrate the winter holidays and thank employees for their hard work, the gatherings also serve as a crossover point between work and personal life. This kind of mixing may not always be comfortable, but it does allow for the chance to fulfill multiple social obligations at once–for example, by creating space for family time within work life and vice versa.
This social mixing feels normal to me. I see my social life as a cluster of circles representing different groups, such as family, friends, and coworkers, most of which overlap to some degree. It looks like a complex Venn diagram. To me, a typical party is a large gathering consisting of people I already know as well as friends I have yet to meet. On the other hand, in Korea I have noticed that the circles almost never overlap, and a party is a meeting of friends who already know each other.
Office outings, or hwayshik, are only for employees, and for that matter only for members of a certain department or work unit. At my company, I am able to socialize exclusively with members of my own team and, occasionally, other employees of the same rank as me. In addition, I have rarely encountered a social function in Korea that allowed attendees to bring a date or “plus one.” Furthermore, I have heard that for Korean couples, the wedding is typically the first and only time that the husband’s and wife’s families meet each other.
But one feature that bridges the gap between Korean and U.S. culture is the struggle to achieve work-life balance. In modern society, work always threatens to engulf personal and family time. One way to fight back is by increasing instances of overlap, such as by bringing your spouse to a work party, adjusting your work hours to accommodate your child’s school schedule, or even bringing your dog to work. Without any opportunities for social mixing, and with a constant burden of work-related social obligations in the form of hwayshik, Korean employees surely must find it even more difficult to make time for themselves and their families.
In this environment, I imagine my Korean friends and colleagues are planning to make the most of the upcoming long weekends–that is, if their jobs let them take the Friday off. Maybe next year I’ll propose a real American-style holiday party for my office, complete with eggnog, spousal participation, and secret Santa gift exchange. But for now I’ll just enjoy a much-needed break from work.
Office Outsider.docx
━┛Question┏━━━━
♣1) Which way do you prefer? What do you think about the two cultures?
♣2) Which one do you prefer, meeting new people or friends you know?
♣3) When is the memorable outing or party for you?