1. What does it mean?

A Korean shortening of the English phrase 'work-life balance.' It concerns how work fits alongside rest, relationships, hobbies, and other parts of life, rather than letting the job consume all available time and energy.

Also written or said as work life balance

2. The nuance

You can say 워라밸이 좋다 about a job with a manageable schedule. This is a description of someone's experience, not a promise that every employee has the same hours or working conditions.

3. Examples

“이직할 때는 연봉만큼 워라밸도 중요해.”

When changing jobs, work-life balance matters as much as salary to me.

“요즘 야근이 줄어서 워라밸이 좀 나아졌어.”

I've been doing less overtime lately, so my work-life balance has improved.

Related words

Sources

Korea Policy Briefing: language and culture

References support the meaning and usage. Example sentences are written for NoCapWiki.