Much ado about nothing: world’s most relaxed people gather in Seoul for ‘space-out’ competition

Participants join the International Space Out Competition, an annual event to pick who is the best at doing nothing, in central Seoul Photograph: YONHAP/EPA

In downtown Seoul, in front of the iconic Gyeongbokgung palace, dozens of people of all ages sit on wet yoga mats, staring into space. Some are dressed in doctors’ and dentists’ uniforms, while others wear the attire of office workers and students. Welcome to the international “space-out competition”.

The rules are simple: do absolutely nothing. Falling asleep, however, leads to disqualification. Organisers monitor the participants’ heart rates; the contestant with the most stable heart rate wins.