The Best City for Workation: Bangkok Ranks #1, What About Seoul? [AK Radio]

Digital Nomads Expand to 35 Million
Emerging as an Alternative for Regions Facing Population Decline Crisis

Recently, 'Workation' (Work+Vacation) has emerged as a new alternative for cities facing the crisis of regional extinction. Workation is a concept that combines work and vacation, referring to a method of performing remote work while staying for a certain period in tourist or resort areas.

Bangkok, the No.1 Workation City Chosen by 35 Million Digital Nomads Worldwide

[Image source=EPA Yonhap News]

Globally, it is estimated that about 35 million 'digital nomads' are practicing this lifestyle. They are mainly freelancers in the IT industry, with most jobs allowing work from anywhere as long as there is a computer and internet connection.

According to Nomad List, the top cities preferred for workation are Bangkok (1st), Chiang Mai (2nd) in Thailand, and Barcelona (3rd) in Spain. In particular, Bangkok stands out for its cost-effectiveness, with an average monthly living expense of $1,400 (approximately 1.88 million KRW).

In South Korea, Seoul ranked 5th as a suitable city for workation, and Daejeon was ranked 16th. Seoul is especially highly rated for its 24-hour convenience store culture, excellent public transportation, and internet infrastructure. The estimated average monthly living cost is $2,500 to $2,600 (approximately 3.35 to 3.49 million KRW).

Jeju Island is also taking the lead in workation. Currently, it operates two public hub offices and 18 private offices, providing an environment where anyone can freely come down to work and rest. Recently, a 'Learnation' (Learn+Vacation) program was introduced, promoting seasonal semester exchanges between Jeju National University and Chung-Ang University.

Can Workation Be a Solution to the Crisis of Regional Extinction? Visa Requirement Relaxation Needed

[Image source=Korea Tourism Organization]

There is a growing outlook that workation could be a new lifeline for regional cities facing population extinction. Even if increasing the registered population is difficult, increasing the living and staying population can revitalize the local economy.

Regions at risk of population extinction, such as Yangyang and Yeongwol in Gangwon Province, are actively promoting workation attraction. However, in Yangyang, side effects such as a decrease in family visitors have appeared due to its recent image as a 'holy place for instant meetings,' indicating the need for proper management.

Several challenges remain to activate workation. First, it is necessary to improve the preference for face-to-face work that still exists in domestic corporate culture. Also, currently, obtaining a workation visa requires a high-income condition of an annual salary of over 90 million KRW, which acts as a barrier to entry.

The government is reportedly reviewing the relaxation of workation visa requirements to address these issues. Other countries like Japan are also expanding their workation visa systems, reflecting a movement to keep pace with international trends. However, new problems such as complaints from local residents due to the influx of workation populations may arise, so preparing countermeasures is also expected to be necessary.

"Indiscriminate Attraction May Cause Backlash from Local Residents"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Workation is considered one of the short-term solutions to population problems. While fundamental solutions such as increasing the birth rate are needed in the long term, it is gaining attention for its potential to revitalize regions through domestic and international population inflow in the meantime.

Experts advise that while workation can be a new source of vitality for regional cities, differentiated strategies that leverage the characteristics of each region are necessary rather than indiscriminate attraction. They also point out that infrastructure development for digital nomads and coexistence plans with local residents should be considered together. Whether workation can become a practical solution to the crisis of regional extinction beyond a mere trend will depend on future policy changes and the efforts of each region.

Editor's NoteThis content is also available on Asia Economy's economic podcast 'AK Radio.' AK Radio is a platform that provides essential information for investors, covering politics, economy, international affairs, tech, bio, and digital trends. Clicking the video play button in the article allows you to hear the reporter's actual voice. This article is a reorganization of the content broadcast on AK Radio through ChatGPT.