People Power Party to Launch Semiconductor and AI Special Committee Next Week... Accelerating Discussions on Semiconductor Special Law
Focusing on Ways to Incorporate Exceptions to the 52-Hour Workweek Regulation
The People Power Party's Special Committee on Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Semiconductors will officially begin its activities next week following its launch. As it is realistically difficult to block the passage of the semiconductor special law led by the Democratic Party, the committee plans to focus on discussing ways to incorporate exceptions to the 52-hour workweek regulation.
According to political sources on October 28, the People Power Party's AI and Semiconductor Special Committee will hold its first meeting on the afternoon of November 3. Launched on October 10, the committee will divide into subcommittees to discuss issues such as Korea-U.S. tariff negotiations, the semiconductor special law, and support for small and medium-sized enterprises.
The semiconductor special law subcommittee plans to pursue a two-track approach: handling the semiconductor special law and discussing exceptions to the 52-hour workweek regulation. Yang Hyangja, Supreme Council Member of the People Power Party and chair of the special committee, said in a phone call, "Since the semiconductor special law itself is not a point of contention, it should be passed quickly, while we need to push separately for the exception to the 52-hour regulation."
Given that the party is outnumbered in the National Assembly, it is considered difficult to block the passage of the semiconductor special law without the exception clause. Therefore, the committee is considering either immediately proposing a revised semiconductor law that includes the exception clause or reflecting it in an amendment to the Labor Standards Act. Ko Dongjin, a member of the special committee from the People Power Party, said in a phone call, "One possible way is to include the exception clause in the presidential decree under the Labor Standards Act."
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While both ruling and opposition parties have formed a consensus on the semiconductor special law itself, they have remained at odds over whether to include the 52-hour workweek exception clause. As a result, the Democratic Party designated the semiconductor special law without the exception clause as a fast-track bill in April, and it has since been automatically referred to the Legislation and Judiciary Committee of the National Assembly. Under the fast-track process, the bill will proceed to an automatic vote at the plenary session even without bipartisan agreement. During the ongoing parliamentary audit, the Democratic Party considered bringing the semiconductor law to a plenary session on October 26, but decided to postpone it, aiming to process it in November.
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