72.7% of South Korean big firms support remote work

Despite the easing of pandemic measures in the country, large companies are continuing to allow their employees to work from home.
By: | June 10, 2022
Topics: Employee Experience | Hybrid Working | News | South Korea

A recent survey of the country’s leading 100 firms by sales, taken by the Korea Enterprises Federation (KEF), found that 72.7% of them continue to have remote working arrangements in place.

However, the ratio is down 18.8 percentage points from 91.5% in a similar survey a year earlier.

KEF, the largest business lobby in the country, said some large corporations appear to have stopped allowing their employees to work remotely in line with the loosened pandemic restrictions. 

In May, South Korea lifted the outdoor mask mandate, except for large gatherings of 50 people or more, as it is moving to return to normalcy. 

According to the findings, nearly 44% of companies allowing remote work cited a gradual return to normal as the main reason, followed by staff preferences for working from home with some 21%. 

Roughly 52% of the respondents expected remote working at large firms to return to a pre-pandemic level after the coronavirus crisis is over, with the remainder anticipating its continued use or expansion. 

READ: More South Korean firms embrace remote work arrangements

South Korea reported 13,358 COVID-19 infections Wednesday, including 59 cases from overseas, bringing the total caseload to 18,188,200, according to Yonhap.