Uniform

Feb. 26 (Asia Today) — A presidential advisory body has recommended that South Korea reconsider the uniform application of its 52-hour workweek, proposing limited exceptions for startups and companies in national strategic technology sectors.

The National Advisory Council on Science and Technology, which advises the president, said firms founded within the past five years and those engaged in key strategic technologies should be allowed greater flexibility in managing working hours.

South Korea introduced the 52-hour workweek cap in 2018 as part of broader labor reform efforts aimed at improving work-life balance and reducing long working hours that had long been a hallmark of the country’s rapid industrialization. The law applies to most businesses and limits total weekly working hours, including overtime, to 52.

The council said building a competitive innovation ecosystem requires a regulatory shift toward greater autonomy and flexibility. It proposed allowing technical personnel at eligible firms to calculate working hours on a quarterly or semiannual basis rather than weekly, depending on project needs. Under the proposal, any exemption would require written consent from individual employees and safeguards to protect workers’ health.

Business groups have long called for expanding exceptions to the 52-hour limit, but the recommendation carries added weight because it comes directly from a presidential advisory body rather than an industry lobby.

In the council’s written opinion, a first-generation venture founder said the 52-hour system conflicts with the nature of startups, which often depend on intensive, time-sensitive work to scale quickly. Another founder cited in the report argued that uniform rules designed around traditional manufacturing no longer reflect the needs of the modern startup ecosystem.

The council noted that other sectors face similar constraints. In semiconductors, companies often experience surges in workload tied to delivery schedules and research timelines, making continuous R&D difficult to sustain under fixed weekly caps. Game developers likewise face concentrated workloads in the months leading up to major releases.

The debate comes amid growing concern about South Korea’s technological competitiveness. According to a 2024 technology level assessment submitted to the council by the Ministry of Science and ICT, the number of national strategic technologies – a government-designated list of critical fields including semiconductors, artificial intelligence, and advanced materials – in which South Korea leads China fell from 17 to just six over the past two years.

The council’s report referenced China’s widely known “996” work culture – 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., six days a week – as a factor that may be contributing to the pace of R&D there. Interest in similar intensive work models is reportedly growing in Silicon Valley as competition with China intensifies.

The National Assembly passed a special semiconductor law in January, but a provision that would have exempted the industry from the 52-hour workweek was stripped out before final passage. It remains unclear whether the government intends to pursue standalone legislation to address the exemption. No official response from the government or labor groups was immediately available.

The council is calling on lawmakers to introduce more flexible working hour arrangements at minimum across the broader science and technology sector.

— Reported by Asia Today; translated by UPI

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Original Korean report: https://www.asiatoday.co.kr/kn/view.php?key=20260225010007612