Government: "Game Companies Must Comply with 52-Hour Workweek"… Briefing Session on the 10th

Jointly Promoted by Ministry of Employment and Labor and Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism on the 10th
Guidance on Key Cases and Regulations of Labor Standards Act Violations
Pearl Abyss: 3 out of 10 Employees Violated the 52-Hour Workweek System

PanGyo Techno Valley panorama. (Photo by Asia Economy DB)

[Sejong=Asia Economy Reporter Moon Chaeseok] The government will hold a briefing session for the game industry on the main provisions of the Labor Standards Act and actual cases. After revealing last month that over 1,000 workers at Pearl Abyss, a KOSDAQ-listed company, worked more than the legal limit of 52 hours per week at a rate of 3 out of 10 employees, the government decided to send a clear 'signal' to game companies not to violate the law following the labor inspection.

The Ministry of Employment and Labor and the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism announced on the 9th that they will hold the briefing session at 2 p.m. on the 10th in the conference room of the Game Industry Association. The government explained that due to the characteristics of new product development having a significant impact on sales and the nature of work requiring real-time global service, the game industry has somewhat flexibly utilized working hours. Naturally, issues such as extended working hours and long working hours have been raised, and there have been continuous concerns about potential violations of the Labor Standards Act. A government official stated, "The briefing session was organized to establish the 52-hour workweek system to improve long working hours while allowing the flexible working system to be used legally when necessary to strengthen industrial competitiveness."

At the briefing, lawyers and labor inspectors currently working at the Ministry of Employment and Labor will directly explain the key points of working hours regulations stipulated by law and illegal cases that may arise in the field. In particular, they will explain the provisions of the Labor Standards Act frequently violated by game companies with actual examples. Detailed guidance will be provided on how to comply with the law while protecting workers' health rights and ensuring wage compensation measures under flexible working systems (such as flexible, selective, and discretionary working hours).

Previously, on March 26, the Ministry of Employment and Labor held a YouTube live briefing session on 'Key Contents of Working Hours Regulations' and 'Core Labor Management Matters' together with the Korea Federation of SMEs and IBK Industrial Bank. The government plans to expand industry-specific briefing sessions related to working hours regulations, including the 52-hour workweek system and supplementary legislation. Park Jongpil, head of the Labor Inspection Policy Division at the Ministry of Employment and Labor, said, "As the importance of ESG (Environment, Social, Governance) management has recently been highlighted, the game industry must comply well with labor laws such as the 52-hour workweek system to grow further," adding, "I hope the briefing session will be very helpful."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.