Ever considered that doing absolutely nothing might be a prize-winning activity? In South Korea, the innovative Space-Out Competition pays participants exactly for that — sitting quietly and spacing out. The event’s 11th iteration was held on May 11 at Jamsu Bridge Banpo Hangang Park in Seoul and attracted a huge audience for the second year running.
As per The Korea Times, this year had 4,547 teams applying, but just 126 people from 80 teams got the chance to compete. Among those competing were soldiers and train operators alongside swimmers and even a reporter from the paper.
The goal of the competition is easy: stay perfectly still and unattentive for 90 minutes. Phone usage is prohibited, one cannot talk, and sleeping disqualifies one. The winner is decided by cardiovascular stability and live audience vote.
Among the first to arrive were 62-year-old paralegal Choi I-ro, who informed the reporter, “I came out here because I wanted to feel just how important it is to pause and rest.” He showed up two hours prior to the event. The other highlight was eight-year-old Kim Ju-ha, who stated, “I realised I’m really good at spacing out while just playing in the playground. That’s why I joined the competition.”
The competition began at 4 PM with 15 minutes of introduction followed by a quick stretching exercise. The contestants then went into 90 minutes of complete stillness. Workers in doctor’s uniforms oversaw heart rates, and others in antique magistrate attire patrolled the park to keep contestants focused. One warning was issued this year for losing concentration; a second warning would have disqualified them.
One video from the event, posted on Instagram, quickly became viral. It featured contestants sitting patiently in colorful attire—some wearing clown, ninja, and even a police costume. The caption was, “who else thinks of winning 1st place? ” The video has so far recorded more than four million views with many social media users expressing their interest and humor. One user commented, “Always wanted to do this HAHA,” while another joked, “I’m gonna win an Oscar.” Someone else wrote, “I’d love to do this. I’d call it a one day vacation.”
After the quiet competition and scoring, the winners were announced. A Seoul punk band called Pogo Attack took home the prize. On stage with their children, they said, “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.”
The festival was founded in 2014 by Korean visual artist Woopsyang. According to Vice, in which she was interviewed, she started it because she felt tired and stressed out about not being productive when the inspiration hit her. “We would all feel better about doing nothing if we did nothing together as a group,” she stated.
This competition defies the stereotype that to do nothing is a waste of time, rewarding those who have perfected the art of just spacing out.
