A recent survey shows that the average number of summer vacation days offered by Korean companies in 2025 is just 3.7 days.
The gap in vacation time remains significant depending on company size, with larger firms offering more generous breaks.
According to data released on July 13 by the Korea Employers Federation, among 528 companies surveyed nationwide (each with five or more employees), 64.7% of companies with over 300 employees allow five or more days off during summer.
In contrast, 45.8% of companies with fewer than 300 employees offer just three days, making that the most common response among smaller firms.
Only 15.7% of large companies responded that they provide just three days of summer vacation, while 28.8% of smaller companies reported giving five or more days. These figures suggest that workers at smaller companies continue to receive shorter summer breaks on average.
Additionally, just over half of the companies surveyed (53.9%) said they plan to provide summer vacation allowances to employees, slightly down from 56.5% last year. Larger firms were also more likely to offer vacation pay, with 63.3% of them doing so, compared to 52.7% of smaller firms.
The survey also found a modest rise in companies promoting the use of annual leave overall, with 63.3% saying they have implemented systems to encourage it, up from 59.1% last year.
Despite efforts to improve work-life balance, the data highlights an ongoing disparity in vacation benefits depending on company size, with many workers in smaller firms still receiving limited time off during Korea’s hottest season.
