"Feels Like Going Back to the 80s and 90s... Working Hours Increase" Office Workers' Concerns

"현장에서 일 해봐야 알지, 장기휴가는 비현실적" Criticism of Armchair Theories

The photo is not related to any specific expression in the article. [Image source=Getty Images Bank]

The government announced plans to promote long-term leave of over a month through the introduction of the 'Working Hours Savings Account System,' but office workers are pushing back, calling it "armchair theorizing that ignores the field and reality."

On the 11th, voices expressing concerns about the abuse and regression of the system flooded online office worker communities such as the Blind app and related article comments.

With the government's 'Working Hours System Reform Plan,' if there is 64-hour work without the 11-hour consecutive rest system, it becomes possible to work four consecutive days a week, leaving work at 4 a.m. and starting again at 9 a.m. L, who works at H Construction, said, "Even with the 52-hour workweek system, both headquarters and field sites are circumventing it, so with 69 hours a week, it’s a situation just before recognition of death from overwork," expressing concern, "Would a company that doesn’t even follow the 52-hour rule comply with 69 hours?"

Lee Jeong-sik, Minister of Employment and Labor, is attending the Emergency Economic Measures Meeting held at the Government Seoul Office on the 8th and delivering opening remarks. Photo by Yoon Dong-joo doso7@

P from L Company sarcastically said, "There will be restructuring before death from overwork," adding, "We hired three people to prepare for busy times, but if two work overtime to solve the problem, one person becomes unnecessary. It’s a system for restructuring."

Z from S Electric lamented, "Does this mean working 69 hours this week and only 4 hours a day next week? This is a typical armchair administration that doesn’t understand industrial sites. We even feel pressured taking a week’s vacation, so being told to take a month’s leave somehow feels like being mocked." A user with the ID 'gims****' who commented on a related article pointed out, "It feels like going back to the 80s or 90s," adding, "Even the 52-hour workweek is tough with lots of overtime, and now working hours seem to be increasing."

Criticism from the political sphere is also strong. Woo Won-sik, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea, appeared on KBS Radio's 'Choi Kyung-young's Strong Current Affairs' on the 7th and criticized, "69 hours a week divided by six days is 11 hours and 30 minutes a day, but subtracting 11 hours of rest and 30 minutes break every 4 hours leaves exactly 11 hours and 30 minutes," adding, "It means working all day except sleeping for six days." He continued, "They say they will give long-term leave after working like that, but is that possible? People can’t live like this."

As this negative public opinion spreads mainly among office workers, the Ministry of Employment and Labor, the responsible department, has reiterated its position that actual working hours will not increase.

On the 9th, Vice Minister Kwon Ki-seop emphasized, "This does not break the goal of the 52-hour workweek system. The goal is to reduce actual working hours," adding, "If we properly manage the average weekly working hours and activate long-term leave, overwork will greatly decrease and productivity will significantly increase."

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