"Seoul is Upside Down," "The Land of Kwarosa"... Foreign Media's View on the 69-Hour Workweek

Italian and Australian Media

The eyes and ears of Italy have also turned to South Korea's government initiative of a 'maximum 69-hour workweek.' It is being evaluated as a regression to the past.

On the 13th (local time), the Italian daily newspaper La Repubblica published an article titled "South Korean Government's Proposal: Weekly Working Hours from 52 to 69," pointing out that "while other countries around the world are discussing a four-day workweek, Seoul is moving in the opposite direction."

[Image source=Yonhap News]

It also reported that many complaints have poured in since the South Korean government announced the plan to reform the working hours system. "In the current situation where the ruling party does not hold a majority in the National Assembly, the conservative Yoon Seok-yeol administration is receiving public criticism over this amendment," it wrote.

It further noted, "South Koreans work an average of 1,951 hours per year, which significantly exceeds the OECD average of 1,716 hours."

"The South Korean government emphasizes that the core of this amendment is to diversify weekly working hours into monthly, quarterly, and annual units, thereby increasing flexibility," and "if the amendment is applied, overall working hours are expected to decrease, which could help raise the world's lowest birth rate," it reported.

Italy is not the only country questioning the amendment. Earlier, Australia's ABC broadcast used the term 'kwarosa,' a transliteration of the Korean word for death from overwork, explaining it as "sudden death caused by severe labor-induced heart failure or stroke." Australia's maximum weekly working hours are 38 hours. Unlike South Korea, there is no upper limit on overtime, but workers can refuse unreasonable overtime, so working hours are not long.

Among OECD member countries, Germany (1,349 hours) and Denmark (1,363 hours) have particularly low working hours. South Korean workers work 566 hours more annually than German workers. The only country with longer working hours than South Korea is Mexico, where people work 2,128 hours per year.

Meanwhile, facing a chilly public opinion, President Yoon Seok-yeol on the 14th instructed a review of the 'maximum 69-hour workweek' reform plan, saying, "During the legislative notice period, carefully listen to the diverse opinions of workers, especially those of the MZ generation, and review points for improvement regarding the bill's content and communication with the public."

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