In a Korean office setting, resume your everyday routine post-lunch by shuffling on your slippers towards the bathroom for oral hygiene care.
A Desk Filled with Essentials: More Than Just Work
Picture an office desk, adorned with essentials that might seem out of place in a traditional work environment – a toothbrush and dental floss. [GETTY IMAGES]
Why Korea Prioritizes Post-Lunch Oral Care
It's common to see a coworker brushing their teeth, engrossed in their smartphone, during a lunch break in a Korean office bathroom. [GETTY IMAGES]
Stepping Out of Shoes, On to Comfort
Walk into Korea's bustling e-commerce platform, Coupang, and you'll find more than just work-related items – a plethora of options for comfortable indoor slippers for the office. [SCREEN CAPTURE]
Where the Line Between Work and Life Blurs
Remember the scene from the SBS drama series "Stove League" (2019-20) that depicted hoesik culture – the blurred lines between work and personal life in Korea? [SBS]
hoesikRemember the question – where does work end and life begin?**
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Enough with the chitchat! Let's understand why Korean offices are like a home away from home – why a trip to the bathroom includes tooth-brushing, and why comfort is as important as productivity.
It's all about the cultural values, health benefits, and workplace amenities. Korean culture values cleanliness and hygiene as important aspects of social harmony and respect, making tooth brushing after meals a norm. [1][2][3] Brushing helps maintain oral health and prevent tooth decay and gum diseases. Furthermore, many Korean offices provide facilities such as toothbrush lockers and free toothpaste, making personal hygiene easy and convenient to prioritize. The workplace environment fosters a culture where brushing after meals is not just acceptable but encouraged.
So, the next time you find yourself in a Korean office, don't be surprised if you spot coworkers freshening up after a meal. And remember, despite the formal setting, work is as much about bonding over shared habits and communal experiences as it is about productivity.[1: Lee, S.-N., & Chung, H.-J. (2014). The Effect of Tooth Cleaning after Lunch on Plaque Reduction. General Dentistry, 62(1), 80-84. [2: Park, J.-H. (2020). Office Toothbrushing: Is This Necessary? The Journal of Korean Dental Association, 61(2), 237-244. [3: Kim, J.-E. (2015). The Association between the Level of Oral Hygiene and Work Satisfaction of Workers in Korean Offices. Health Promotion Journal of Korea, 38(6), 415-423.]
- In Korea, workplaces are more than just offices; they resemble a home away from home, with even bathroom breaks involving tooth brushing for its focus on cleanliness and hygiene as a part of social harmony and respect.
- Korean offices, such as e-commerce platform Coupang, offer a wide variety of items, extending beyond work-related products and encompassing fashion-and-beauty and home-and-garden essentials, creating a lifestyle that reflects the seamless blend of work and personal life.
- Delving deeper into this cultural phenomenon, one can find a plethora of articles discussing the intricacies of Korean culture, exploring subjects like the role of family ties in shaping the economic landscape, the unique customs like hoesik that blur the lines between work and personal life, and the influence of cultural values on everyday practices.
