Minister Lee Jeong-sik: "No Retreat on the 52-Hour Workweek... No Long Working Hours"

Minister of Employment and Labor Lee Jeong-sik is answering questions from the press corps at a policy briefing held on the morning of the 31st at the Government Sejong Complex in Sejong City. (Photo by Ministry of Employment and Labor)

Lee Jeong-sik, Minister of Employment and Labor, stated on the 31st regarding the 'flexibilization of working hours' promoted by the Yoon Seok-yeol administration, "I assure you there will be no long working hours," and emphasized, "The 52-hour workweek system will never be rolled back." He described the current labor law system, established in 1953 and now 70 years old, as "ill-fitting clothes" and stressed his commitment to actively reform it.

At a press briefing held at the Government Complex Sejong on the same day, Minister Lee said, "In our country, 'flexibilization' is inevitably understood as leading to longer working hours due to practical and historical experiences, but in fact, it means responding flexibly to the changed labor environment and is not a bad thing."

The Ministry of Employment and Labor is preparing a plan to revise working hours through the 'Future Labor Market Research Group' composed of experts. However, since President Yoon Seok-yeol once mentioned a '120-hour workweek' during his candidacy, there are significant concerns within parts of the labor community that long working hours might be revived.

Minister Lee expressed, "A workplace where people work without injury is not a benefit but a basic working condition and right of workers, yet the reality is that it is not being upheld, which makes me feel a sense of responsibility as a minister," and added, "We will prepare a roadmap by October to drastically reduce major accidents and leap forward as a safety-advanced country during President Yoon's five-year term."

Regarding the Serious Accident Punishment Act, which faces strong opposition from companies, he explained, "There have been issues raised about uncertainties from both labor and management, and we will present policies soon." In response to the recent controversy over the Ministry of Economy and Finance independently proposing amendments to the enforcement decree of the Serious Accident Punishment Act and allegedly pressuring the Ministry of Employment and Labor, he dismissed it as "just one of various opinions."

A senior official from the Ministry of Employment and Labor who attended the briefing added, "If the Ministry of Economy and Finance, which is not specialized in this area, proposed excessive pressure on us, I would not remain silent from the perspective of having served as a public official for 30 years," but added, "However, it was not to the extent that our pride was hurt."

Regarding the ongoing conflict over the 47 billion won damage compensation lawsuit following the resolution of the Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering incident, Minister Lee reiterated the importance of law and principles. He emphasized, "Observing laws and regulations is fundamental in all organizations," and stated, "Not only Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering but also in the future, we will strictly respond to illegal acts regardless of labor or management or status."

Concerning the 'Yellow Envelope Act,' which has gained attention following the Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering subcontractor labor union strike, he said, "The National Assembly has requested detailed information on overseas cases and types of damage compensation in Korea, and we are preparing diligently," adding, "We will actively support in-depth discussions." The 'Yellow Envelope Act' refers to the amendment to the Labor Union and Labor Relations Adjustment Act that limits damage compensation lawsuits and provisional seizures against striking workers.

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