Full-Fledged Discussion on 4.5-Day Workweek Begins... Tripartite Task Force Launched on the 24th

by Kim Pyeonghwa

Published 24 Sep.2025 13:50(KST)

'Actual Working Hours Reduction Roadmap' to Be Announced Within the Year

The 'Actual Working Hours Reduction Roadmap Task Force', which includes representatives from labor, management, and government, was launched on the 24th. The task force plans to discuss a variety of measures to reduce working hours, including the introduction of a 4.5-day workweek, and unveil the 'Actual Working Hours Reduction Roadmap' within the year.

The Ministry of Employment and Labor announced that it formed the task force and held a kickoff meeting on this day to provide a forum for labor, management, and government to work together toward achieving the average actual working hours of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).

Kim Younghoon, Minister of Employment and Labor, is speaking at the kickoff meeting of the 'Actual Working Hours Reduction Roadmap Task Force' on the 24th. Ministry of Labor

The task force will be co-chaired by Bae Kyusik, former president of the Korea Labor Institute, and Kim Yujin, Director-General for Labor Policy at the Ministry of Employment and Labor. In addition, Kim Jongjin, Director of the Working Citizens Research Institute (serving as deputy chair), as well as representatives from labor, management, government, and experts, will participate, bringing the total number of members to 17.

Going forward, the task force will discuss a range of topics to achieve the national policy goal of reducing actual working hours, including: ▲ legal and institutional improvements such as banning comprehensive wage systems and promoting the use of annual leave; ▲ enhancing labor productivity; ▲ increasing the employment rate; and ▲ promoting work-life balance. In particular, separate working groups will be established for key topics such as the 4.5-day workweek and productivity enhancement to improve the efficiency of discussions and the effectiveness of research.

During this process, the task force also plans to hold roundtable meetings, site visits, and public forums to incorporate feedback from the field. The results of these intensive discussions, which will take place over the next three months, will be included in the 'Actual Working Hours Reduction Roadmap.' A Ministry of Employment and Labor official stated, "We aim to announce the roadmap within the year."

In his congratulatory remarks, Minister of Employment and Labor Kim Younghoon stated, "We will strengthen supervision of long working hours and provide tailored support to small businesses, industries related to life and safety, and workplaces with rotating shifts, where it is difficult to immediately reduce working hours."

He continued, "We will first pursue legal and institutional improvements, such as banning comprehensive wage systems and promoting the use of annual leave, which are the main causes of long working hours. On this foundation, we will seek reasonable ways to establish the 4.5-day workweek through social dialogue."