In an article from The Korea Times reported that Koreans experienced the longest commute time in the world with an average of 108 minutes a day. This phenomenon is seen to possess a serious health risk for the citizens of the country.
According to a recent study published by researchers at the Autonomous University of Barcelona in Spain and McGill University in Canada, Korea ranked first among the 48 countries surveyed for the longest commute time in the world.
Being on the road for too long can reduce time for physical activity and socializing that can cause weight gain, reduced exercise capacity, and hypertension.
“Stress caused by long commutes can increase blood sugar, blood pressure and cholesterol levels, raising the risk of cardiovascular disease and even death,” said Cho Soo-hyun, a family medicine professor at Chung-ang University Hospital.
She added that it can also cause depression, anxiety, social isolation, irritability, cognitive decline, poor sleep quality, and musculoskeletal disorders.
Filipino commuters reacted hilariously after reading the news.
Filipinos are known for enduring some of the longest commute times, largely due to heavy traffic—especially in Metro Manila.
According to the 2024 TomTom Traffic Index, Metro Manila has the worst traffic congestion among the metros in the world. It has long been a problem for commuters traveling back and forth from their houses to their workplaces.
Some commuters shared that it takes them up to two hours just to get home from work. For others, even 108 minutes on the road barely gets them halfway to their destination.
“Seriously? If you travel from [San Jose Del Monte Bulacan] to Makati, it will take 3 hours just to go to work. Then, another 3 hours going home. That’s 6 hours daily,” said one netizen.
“108 mins? What’s that, warm up? Hahaha. I travel [at least 6hrs back] and forth, SJDM, Bulacan to Estancia Mall-Pasig when I do RTOs. Thanks god we only do that 4x a month,” said another.
However, comparing commute hours between countries can be misleading and risky, as commuters everywhere face similar struggles. This shared experience should serve as a wake-up call for governments to address the issue more seriously.
In the meantime, the best thing commuters can do is find ways to cope and take care of themselves while being stuck on the road for hours.
Other POP! stories that you might like:
Is Philippine cinema still for the people?
