It is 10 PM in Seoul, South Korea, yet Hyun Jin Lee remains at a mandatory team dinner instead of enjoying a well-deserved evening at home. This recent college graduate, caught in the relentless cycle of the IT industry, reflects a troubling trend that underscores our current work culture: an unyielding expectation that sacrifices individual well-being for corporate gains.
“I end up working late almost every day,” she admits. After a grueling day that typically starts at 9:30 AM and can extend past midnight, what remains of her free time is consumed by the pressure to catch up on her workload, often compounded by a barrage of 200 messages daily. This is a grim reality for too many in the workforce today, a testament to the government’s failure to foster an environment where personal responsibility and work-life balance are prioritized.
Research from Microsoft’s 2025 Work Trend Index reveals that this so-called “infinite workday” is not an isolated case but an epidemic. Workers find themselves trapped in an endless cycle of tasks, fueled by incessant notifications—which average about one every two minutes. The traditional work culture, blind to the values of personal responsibility and traditional lifestyles, is disillusioning an entire generation.
Young professionals like Lee are bearing the brunt of systemic issues rooted in outdated corporate practices that prioritize hours logged over genuine productivity. With 94% of Gen Z prioritizing work-life balance, as evidenced by Deloitte research, it is clear that workers are yearning for genuine consideration of their lives beyond the office. These aspirations clash with an entrenched corporate culture sustained by an indifferent government that permits disconnected elite ideals to dictate daily realities.
Sal, a compensation specialist from New York, encapsulates the frustrations of his generation. He faces not only stagnant wages but also student debt complications, crushing inflation, and rising mental health crises, all while being coerced into conforming to an antiquated structure that offers little reward for immense effort. “We’re graduating with high amounts of debt and working jobs that burn us out without even covering those debts,” he offers, capturing the cycle of despair that threatens to engender long-term disillusionment among his peers.
Even in a country renowned for its demanding work culture, young people in South Korea are resisting these constraints. Lee notes that her generation values free time and flexibility. In stark contrast to the misleading notion that excessive working hours equate to diligence, many now perceive it as evidence of poor time management—an assertion that flies in the face of the status quo.
For others like Jane, who holds two full-time jobs while plotting an escape from corporate bonds by age 30, the pressures are insurmountable. Her disdain for the traditional career path is fueled by negative experiences that echo a larger sentiment: the expectation to make work the center of life. Forced into a perpetual grind, ordinary individuals are subjected to management styles that seem out of touch with modern sensibilities.
Her earlier experiences in oppressive work settings pushed Jane into cycles of anxiety and even depression, sentiments echoed by countless others. She advocated for firm boundaries, rejecting the culture of overwork that reflects a government and corporate landscape more concerned with profits than people. “Getting sucked into work is definitely the wrong approach,” she states, emphasizing the importance of reclaiming personal time over corporate demands.
Ultimately, Jane has recognized that the only way to combat burnout is to leave toxic environments. This understanding should serve as a clarion call for corporate leaders and policymakers alike: if well-being is not prioritized, the very foundations of their enterprises will falter. Individuals are prioritizing life over work in an age where government overreach, inflation, and corporate elitism threaten to strip the essence of personal responsibility from the workforce.
