The 'Voluntary Commute' Trend Blowing Through Pangyo

On the afternoon of the 2nd, nearby office workers are taking a walk on the street in front of U-Space in Pangyo Techno Valley, Gyeonggi-do, where cherry blossoms are in bloom.

[Asia Economy Reporter Buaeri] The first week felt like a dream, the second week was leisurely, but from the third week onward, it just became an ordinary routine. The space called home did not mix with work like oil and water. Thus, the limits of remote work approached, and Choi Jaesung (34, pseudonym) decided to become a 'voluntary commuter.'

On the afternoon of the 2nd, Choi Jaesung, an employee of the game company Smilegate met in Pangyo, explained the reason for his voluntary commuting by saying, "As remote work prolonged, I felt the limits of working from home." He added, "Graphic work that I used to do with high-performance equipment in the office took longer when done at home. Considering commuting time, I judged that working in the office was more efficient, so I started coming to work." Although the company recommends remote work due to concerns about the spread of COVID-19, his thoughts were different. Choi said, "I am commuting while strictly following preventive measures such as wearing masks," and added, "There are quite a few cases of colleagues voluntarily coming to work as well."

◆ "IT companies also face challenges with non-face-to-face work" = Pangyo Techno Valley, where about 70,000 people work in approximately 1,300 resident companies, is a massive technology-intensive city. Representative IT companies such as Kakao, NCSoft, and Nexon gathered here, and large-scale remote work began at the end of February. As more than a month passed, voluntary commuters like Choi have been increasing. The reasons vary: unable to endure the poorer work environment compared to the office, concern that returning to normal life might become difficult, and so on. In early March, when remote work first started, the streets of Pangyo were deserted, but now during commuting and lunch hours, they are bustling with crowds. Some places are gradually lifting remote work. NCSoft plans to return to a four-day workweek starting next week.

Lee (28), whom we met near the Kakao headquarters, said, "The remote work system is well established, but there is definitely a difference from having face-to-face meetings and brainstorming ideas." He added, "Working at the office is more efficient, but I think it was a good decision for the company to allow each department to choose remote work at their discretion." Kim (34), a game company employee met at a nearby cafe, also said, "Although IT companies are accustomed to non-face-to-face work, realistically, mixing remote and face-to-face work improves performance," and evaluated, "However, it is positive that COVID-19 has made us accept remote work more flexibly."

◆ Pangyo’s first-generation merchants: "This is the first time experiencing such a recession" = Some employees chose the office over home as their children’s school openings were delayed. Another game company employee, Choi (40), said, "Since there are children at home, it inevitably interferes with work, so I came to the office," and hinted, "While some employees choose remote work due to childcare, there are also employees who come to work."

As voluntary commuters increase, Pangyo is gradually regaining vitality, but the aftereffects of COVID-19 remain significant. Stores with 'For Lease' signs were noticeable throughout YouSpace and H-Square, known as 'Pangyo’s Rodeo Street.' Some merchants chose to close their businesses instead of bearing monthly rents of hundreds of thousands of won as sales practically hit rock bottom. Many stores are temporarily closed until COVID-19 calms down.

Kim Sunyeon (60), who has operated a Korean restaurant for seven years since the establishment of Pangyo Techno Valley, sighed, "I am a first-generation resident of Pangyo, but this is the first time business has been this bad," and said, "Although voluntary commuters are gradually increasing, it will take considerable time to return to normal, and I feel at a loss about how to endure until then."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.