Korean workers' hours are steadily declining. According to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), the average annual working hours of employed persons in Korea stood at 1,833 hours last year, down 32 hours from the previous year. This is the combined result of the five-day workweek, the introduction of the 52-hour workweek cap, the designation of public holidays as paid holidays, and the expansion of substitute holidays. Working hours are set to fall further, as the government is pursuing measures centered on a 4.5-day workweek to lower average annual working hours to the 1,700-hour range by 2030. If reducing long working hours improves quality of life, there is justification for doing so. And while Korea's working hours have declined, it is also true that they remain roughly 100 hours above the OECD average.
However, we must face the fact that reducing working hours without adequate productivity support inevitably leads to weakened corporate competitiveness and diminished growth potential in industry. Indeed, according to OECD analysis, Korea's labor productivity per hour is $52, far below the $80 average of the Group of Seven (G7). This is an indicator that eloquently demonstrates that improving productivity is more urgent than cutting working hours. The recent case of German manufacturing illustrates this more clearly. Germany, with average annual working hours of 1,332 hours—the lowest in the OECD—was once cited as a model of "work-life balance." But as the competitiveness of its manufacturing sector, including the automotive industry, was severely shaken, leading companies such as Volkswagen embarked on massive restructuring. By focusing solely on working less, they invited the debacle of losing the jobs themselves.
We must also keep in mind that in advanced industries such as artificial intelligence (AI) and semiconductors, uniform labor regulations are the biggest obstacle blocking innovation. This is why China's semiconductor industry is pushing the "996 work system" (9 a.m. to 9 p.m., six days a week). It is fortunate that the government, albeit belatedly, is reviewing an exemption from the 52-hour workweek for semiconductors and other sectors during discussions on the Mega Special Zone Act. We should further heed the voices calling for the 52-hour exemption to be extended to other semiconductor sites such as Pyeongtaek and Yongin. Only by flexibly reforming the rigid working-hours system can Korea strengthen the competitiveness of K-industries in the global race for technological supremacy and lift the stagnant potential growth rate. Now is the time to place the core of working-hours policy on "flexibility" rather than "reduction," and to actively pursue a comprehensive redesign toward flexibility that fully reflects the characteristics of each industry.
