Excited Again for '2Sa3Taek' Commute... Pangyo, I Missed You

Due to the spread of COVID-19, the IT industry, which had been working remotely, has gradually shifted to a partial commuting system. On the 20th, when the government implemented slightly relaxed social distancing measures, citizens hurried on their way to work near Pangyo Techno Valley Station in Seongnam-si, Gyeonggi Province, where many IT companies are concentrated.
/Seongnam=Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@

[Asia Economy Reporter Buaeri] "What is Monday blues? It's an exciting commute to work." Kim Hyun-mi (pseudonym, 32), a Naver employee, felt lighter than ever stepping into the office after two months. Although she had repeated the commute for the past five years, this day felt exceptionally special. "Sitting at my desk in my office feels new again. It's also nice to see my colleagues again." The office was bustling with chatter as she caught up with colleagues she hadn't seen in a while. Kim said, "It was really precious to chat and drink coffee with colleagues after such a long time," adding, "The commute, which used to be a burden, will be a valuable part of my daily life for a while."

◆ Combining Office Work and Remote Work = Due to the spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), the IT industry in Pangyo, Seongnam, which had shifted to remote work since late February, began experimenting with a '2 days in office, 3 days remote' system on the 20th. Naver employees started returning to the office in the warm spring after working remotely during the cold winter. It has been two months since remote work began on February 26. Naver has not completely ended remote work; for the time being, they are combining regular office attendance with remote work. Each department sets specific days for office attendance, with two days in the office and three days working remotely per week.

Naver stated, "Since the COVID-19 situation still requires vigilance, we are operating a transition period to be as cautious as possible when ending remote work," adding, "To avoid crowding, less than half of the employees will come to the office at the same time."

Netmarble, which had been working remotely for two months, switched this week to a system of three days in the office and two days remote work per week. A Netmarble representative said, "The principle is to work remotely from home, but important meetings and information sharing will be conducted in the office," adding, "We will revise the attendance policy depending on the progression of the COVID-19 situation."

◆ "Expecting a Return to Normal Soon" = Kakao, which had all employees working remotely, changed to one day in the office and four days remote work per week starting on the 9th. A Kakao representative said, "We will maintain one day in the office this week while monitoring the situation, and any changes such as expanding office days will be decided again on Friday."

Earlier, NCSoft implemented a four-day workweek starting in early April. The day off is paid leave. Nexon also started a partial remote work system on the 13th, with three days in the office and two days remote work per week.

The IT industry's experiment with partial office attendance is due to concerns about reduced work efficiency from prolonged remote work as the COVID-19 situation stabilizes. Despite well-equipped remote work programs, internal assessments emphasize the need for basic face-to-face communication. Game companies preparing for new releases face limitations with remote work alone due to development equipment issues.

Following the '2 days in office, 3 days remote' experiment, more IT companies are expected to gradually normalize office attendance and major event schedules starting next month. An industry insider said, "We are eager to normalize product launch events and meetings, but everyone is cautious," adding, "We expect to return to regular work routines soon."

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