Semiconductor Society: "R&D 52-Hour Workweek Exemption Essential for Technological Innovation and Competitiveness Enhancement"

Statement Issued, Urging the National Assembly for Prompt Deliberation

The Korea Semiconductor Display Technology Society, the Institute of Electronics Engineers of Korea, and other semiconductor societies issued a statement on the 5th, emphasizing that "the introduction of a special exemption system for the 52-hour workweek for core R&D personnel is essential to be included in the 'Semiconductor Special Act' to ensure continuous technological innovation and strengthen global competitiveness in the semiconductor industry," and urged the National Assembly to promptly deliberate on the matter.

The societies stated, "Semiconductor technology is advancing daily, and to maintain a super-gap in the global market, the focus and continuity of research and development are paramount," adding, "The current 52-hour workweek limitation reduces researchers' immersion in their work and acts as an obstacle to the development of new technologies."

They particularly noted, "Semiconductor R&D starts from uncertainty, as it involves creating new products with differentiated functions that do not exist in the world," emphasizing, "Because the likelihood of success cannot be predicted at all, setting fixed time limits for R&D not only causes schedule delays but also lowers the probability of success."

Continuing, they referenced overseas cases, stating, "Countries like the United States and China operate flexible labor time regulations for R&D personnel," and predicted, "Due to rigid working hour systems, Korean semiconductor researchers are unable to keep pace with global research speeds, and it will become increasingly difficult to respond flexibly to rapid technological changes such as artificial intelligence (AI) in the future."

Additionally, the societies requested, "Companies need to establish meticulous institutional measures to ensure researchers can conduct their work healthily and build innovative reward systems that motivate researchers themselves," and earnestly appealed, "We sincerely request bipartisan agreement from the National Assembly so that our semiconductor industry can continuously serve as a pillar of the national economy."

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