Yoon Administration's '69-Hour Workweek' Faces Opposition: "Are They Creating a Country Good for Overworking and Only Addressing Corporate Complaints?"

Organizer Opposes 69-Hour Workweek Reform, Vows to "Definitely Prevent Labor Deterioration"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Koo Chae-eun] As the Yoon Suk-yeol administration is pushing to expand the maximum possible weekly working hours from the current 52 hours to 69 hours, the opposition party has clearly opposed the move, stating, “We will definitely stop Yoon Suk-yeol’s labor reform that worsens workers’ rights.”

Democratic Party spokesperson and lawmaker Kim Eui-gyeom issued a statement on the day, strongly criticizing, “The ‘120 hours per week’ labor that President Yoon mentioned during his candidacy is becoming a reality.”

Lawmaker Kim said, “Currently, about 500 people die annually from overwork at workplaces. Advanced countries are striving to reduce working hours to create nations that improve both productivity and quality of life. However, the Yoon Suk-yeol administration is turning back the clock to the 1980s’ low-wage, long-hour labor system,” directly attacking the policy.

Kim added, “There is only a government that makes the country good for making people work and solves only the complaints of business owners. Does the president see only businesses and not the workers who are struggling through the era of high interest rates and high prices?”

Earlier, on the 12th, the Future Labor Market Research Group, an expert body formed to discuss labor market reform policies under the Yoon Suk-yeol administration, recommended expanding the management unit of extended working hours from a ‘weekly’ basis to ‘monthly, quarterly, semiannual, and annual’ units. Currently, extended working hours are limited to ‘12 hours per week,’ but they suggested allowing flexible operation such as ‘52 hours per month.’

Regarding this, Lawmaker Kim pointed out, “If this happens, the 12-hour weekly overtime limit will collapse, and office workers will be able to work up to 15 hours overtime per week, 52 hours per month, 140 hours per quarter, and 250 hours per half-year,” adding, “The 120 hours per week labor that President Yoon mentioned during his candidacy is becoming a reality.”

The labor community is also immediately opposing the move, saying it will lead to long working hours and wage cuts. The Federation of Korean Trade Unions (FKTU) urged a full reconsideration, stating, “What meaning does expanding workers’ autonomy over working hours have when workers cannot refuse employers’ work orders in reality?” The Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU) criticized it as “a regressive recommendation that entrusts decision-making power over wages and working hours to employers.”

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