Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy Kim Jung-kwan said Wednesday that the government is in ongoing discussions with the Ministry of Employment and Labor and other related ministries on whether to include working-hour flexibility measures — including exemptions from the 52-hour workweek rule — in a proposed special act for mega special economic zones.
Speaking at a plenary session of the National Assembly's Trade, Industry, Energy, SMEs and Startups Committee, Kim said the government is actively exploring "various forms, most notably a white-collar exemption and flexible working-hour systems," in response to a question from Democratic Party lawmaker Kim Won-i about whether the mega special zone legislation would include broad working-hour exceptions.
Asked whether the discussions also cover expanding the overtime management unit from the current weekly basis to monthly, quarterly or semi-annual cycles, extending the application periods for flexible and selective working-hour systems, and outright exemptions from the 52-hour cap, Kim said "various consultations are underway." He added that "industry, labor and, on the government side, the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy and the Ministry of Employment and Labor are putting their heads together and talking closely."
Kim also reaffirmed his longstanding conviction that the 52-hour rule needs to be revised. When People Power Party lawmaker Seo Ji-young asked whether he still held the position he expressed at a recent Kwanhun Club debate — that "the system must not break the will of those who want to work" — Kim replied, "Yes."
Kim also disclosed that the 52-hour workweek was discussed at a recent closed-door meeting chaired by the president. "It is difficult to answer because it was a closed meeting, but the content was at a similar level to what the ministries have discussed publicly," he said.
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