Just Sitting And Doing Nothing? There's A Competition For That In South Korea

News18

17-05-2025

Last Updated:
The 11th edition of this event, held at Jamsu Bridge Banpo Hangang Park in Seoul, saw 126 participants.
Just sitting and doing nothing? Well, that can get you a prize now. In South Korea, there is a unique contest called the Space-Out Competition where participants compete by doing absolutely nothing. The 11th edition of this event was held on May 11 at Jamsu Bridge Banpo Hangang Park in Seoul, and once again, it drew a big crowd.
As reported by The Korea Times, around 4,547 teams applied to be part of this year's event. But only 126 participants from 80 teams made it through. It included soldiers, train operators, swimmers and even a reporter from the outlet.
The goal is simple: sit still and zone out for 90 minutes. No phones, no talking, no falling asleep. The winner is picked based on heart rate stability and votes from people watching the event in person.
Among the first to arrive was Choi I-ro, a 62-year-old paralegal. 'I came out here because I wanted to feel just how important it is to pause and rest," he told the reporter from The Korea Times. He showed up two hours early.
Eight-year-old Kim Ju-ha also stood out. 'I realised I'm really good at spacing out while just playing in the playground. That's why I joined the competition," she said.
At 4 PM, the contest began with a 15-minute introduction and a short stretching session. Then came the 90 minutes of complete stillness. As per the outlet, staff dressed like doctors went around checking heart rates. Others, wearing old-style magistrate costumes, walked through the park to make sure everyone was really zoning out. One warning was given for breaking focus and a second meant disqualification. This year, only one person got a warning for breaking focus.
The video has already crossed four million views. In the comment section, many social media users shared their reactions.
One user commented, 'Always wanted to do this HAHA."
Another joked, 'I'm gonna win an Oscar." Someone else added, 'I'd love to do this. I'd call it a one day vacation."
After the quiet battle and some scoring, the winners were finally announced. A punk band from Seoul called Pogo Attack took home the prize. 'We're Pogo Attack, and we're here to take over the world. Today, we're thrilled to have conquered the art of spacing out," they said on stage with their kids.
According to The Korea Times, the event was created in 2014 by Korean visual artist Woopsyang. She once told Vice that she was burnt out and anxious about being unproductive. That's when she got the idea. 'We would all feel better about doing nothing if we did nothing together as a group," she said.
The contest goes against the idea that doing nothing is a waste of time and gives a prize to the best at it.
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