STORY: Under hazy spring sunshine on Saturday (May 2), hundreds of South Korean residents turned up at a park by the Han River at the invitation of the Seoul city to try to do something many overworked South Koreans never get enough of - sleep.

The Seoul Metropolitan Government staged its third annual spring event, dubbed a 'Power Nap Contest', from 3 p.m. (0600 GMT), under a refreshed set of admission requirements for would-be participants: wear outfits befitting either a sleeping beauty or prince, come tired, with a full belly.

For a metropolis that famously runs on 24-hour shopping malls, competitive hustle and iced Americanos, the underlying exhaustion on the lawn was palpable.

Yoo Mi-yeon, 24, an English teacher from Ilsan north of Seoul, stood out in a plush, oversized koala-themed onesie.

"I usually don't sleep well. I struggle to fall asleep, and wake up easily," she said. "Koalas are famous for their deep slumber. I came dressed as one hoping to borrow a little of their magic."

As the clock struck three and eye masks descended across the park, officials went around to measure participants' heart rate to make sure they had a stable reading - an indicator of deep, peaceful sleep.

The winner of the contest was a man in his 80s. Hwang Du-seong, a 37-year-old office worker, was a runner-up.

"I was completely drained. So when I saw the contest I was determined to sleep to fully recharge amid Han River breeze, and I'm very happy to be placed second place, luckily," Hwang said.

Now in its third consecutive year, the sleep competition underscores a chronic issue for South Koreans. Data shows South Korea is one of the most overworked and sleep-deprived nations among Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) members, and, as a consequence, people have some of the fewest sleep hours.

DESCRIPCIÓN DE IMÁGENES

SHOWS: SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA (MAY 2, 2026) (REUTERS - Access all)

1. MAN SLEEPING AT HAN RIVER PARK DURING POWER NAP CONTEST

2. VARIOUS OF PARTICIPANTS SLEEPING ON BEAN BAGS

3. WOMAN IN PINK DRESS SLEEPING

4. SIGN READING (Korean): “DON’T WAKE ME UP UNLESS YOU’RE A PRINCE” / WOMAN SLEEPING

5. PARTICIPANTS SLEEPING ON BEAN BAGS

6. 44-YEAR-OLD PARTICIPANT, YOO MI-YEON, WEARING KOALA COSTUME AND SLEEPING

7. (SOUNDBITE) (Korean) 44-YEAR-OLD PARTICIPANT, YOO MI-YEON, WHO WON BEST DRESSED AWARD, SAYING:

“I usually don't sleep well. I struggle to fall asleep, and wake up easily. Koalas are famous for their deep slumber. I came dressed as one hoping to borrow a little of their magic.”

8. WOMAN IN COSTUME OF ‘PO’ FROM TELETUBBIES SLEEPING

9. 20-YEAR-OLD UNIVERSITY STUDENT, PARK JUN-SEOK, WEARING KOREAN KING’S ROBE OF JOSEON DYNASTY SLEEPING

10. HEART RATE MONITOR ON PARK’S FINGER

11. (SOUNDBITE) (Korean) 20-YEAR-OLD UNIVERSITY STUDENT, PARK JUN-SEOK, SAYING:

“I usually don't get much sleep because of exam prep and other things—on a good day I only manage three or four hours. So I'm here to show off my napping skills, and to demonstrate exactly how a Joseon Dynasty’s king sleeps as I'm dressed like a king right now.”

12. PARTICIPANTS SLEEPING

13. VARIOUS OF CONTEST STAFF TICKLING PARTICIPANTS WITH FEATHER

14. CONTEST STAFF CHECKING HEART RATE OF PARTICIPANT

15. HEART RATE MONITOR ON PARTICIPANT’S FINGER

16. MAN SLEEPING

17. (SOUNDBITE) (Korean) ORGANISER OF POWER NAP CONTEST, LIM JI-YEON, SAYING:

“I’ve heard that people's sleep quality keeps getting worse. On the other hand, a power nap—a quick daytime nap—can help you bounce back fast. That idea inspired us. Participants will nap for about an hour and a half, and we organized this event with the hope that they could recharge during that time.”

18. PARTICIPANTS SLEEPING DURING CONTEST

19. MAN WEARING EYE MASK SLEEPING

20. WINNER OF POWER NAP CONTEST WALKING TOWARD STAGE

21. WINNERS OF CONTEST TAKING GROUP PHOTOGRAPH

22. (SOUNDBITE) (Korean) 37-YEAR-OLD PARTICIPANT WHO WON SECOND PLACE, HWANG DU-SEONG, SAYING:

“As an office worker, I commute every day and sometimes work late. I'd just gotten back from a business trip and done a lot of driving, so I was completely drained. So when I saw this Power Nap Contest I was determined to sleep to fully recharge amid Han River breeze, and I'm very happy to be placed second place, luckily."

23. VARIOUS OF PARTICIPANTS SLEEPING