Prices continue to rise. Fuel costs climb higher. Home ownership in Seoul feels increasingly out of reach. Yet paychecks remain largely unchanged, and the pressures of family, work, and personal ambition show no signs of easing. Even so, every morning, countless office workers continue their journey toward Gwanghwamun.
The June 1 episode of KBS2's Documentary 3Days presents The Story of Mr. Kim Without a Home in Seoul: 72 Hours in Gwanghwamun, a close observation of three days in the lives of ordinary Korean office workers. Through their daily routines, the program captures a reality that feels both deeply personal and universally familiar.
For many workers, exhaustion begins before the workday itself. Packed subway cars drain energy long before they reach the office. A bowl of hangover soup eases yesterday's fatigue. An iced Americano provides just enough fuel to start the morning. Then the cycle begins again. What keeps them moving is not necessarily ambition, but the simple reality that they must endure.
Lunchtime offers little escape from the calculations of daily life. Choosing a meal becomes a negotiation between personal preference and affordability. A bowl of naengmyeon, a serving of sashimi, or a spoonful of gukbap represents more than food. It becomes the energy needed to carry another day forward.
The pursuit of a so-called "productive life" continues as well. Some office workers begin self-improvement routines before sunrise. Working mothers navigate the dual demands of parenting and commuting. Others spend lunch breaks exercising rather than resting. Their greatest competition is not a colleague or rival but the person they were yesterday.
For middle-aged workers in particular, continuous learning has become less of a choice and more of a survival strategy. In workplaces where performance must constantly be proven, studying becomes another responsibility added to an already crowded schedule.
Eventually Friday arrives.
After work, exhausted employees gather at an outdoor library in Gwanghwamun Square. They open books, organize their thoughts, and briefly catch their breath. Yet even in moments of rest, the demands of reality remain close behind. One simple phrase seems to summarize their collective state of mind:
"Still, we have to keep going."
The documentary also captures the final days of a long-standing Japanese restaurant that once served as a familiar gathering place for generations of office workers. Forced to close due to redevelopment, the restaurant becomes a symbol of another disappearing piece of urban memory. It was a place where promotions were celebrated, resignations were comforted, and friendships quietly formed over meals. Its final night marks the end of more than a business. It marks the passing of a shared chapter in Gwanghwamun's history.
Rather than focusing on extraordinary individuals, Documentary 3Days turns its attention to ordinary people whose lives rarely make headlines. Through their routines, struggles, and perseverance, the program offers a powerful portrait of contemporary Korean society.
Gwanghwamun's 72 hours ultimately become more than a documentary setting. They become a reflection of the people who continue to show up every day, carrying responsibilities, ambitions, disappointments, and hopes through a city that never truly stops moving.
Documentary 3Days airs on June 1 on KBS2.
Reported by News Culture M.J._mj94070777@nc.press
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