Previously there were concerns that South Korea’s legal working hours limit could undermine the competitiveness of the high-tech industry. According to Chosun Biz, the government is currently planning to introduce provisions that will extend the special working hours exemptions for semiconductor research positions from the current three to six months.
As highlighted in the report, the government plans to enable the semiconductor industry to apply special expansion efforts.
On the morning of the 12th, the Ministry of Employment and Labor announced “Additional Measures for Special Expansion Work Authorization System for Semiconductor Research and Development.” According to the report, existing systems will allow work up to 64 hours per week, exceeding standard legal limits, if necessary, up to 64 hours per week, but newly introduced supplementary measures will extend the maximum permit period, particularly from 3 months to 6 months per instance.
The report says the government is planning to allow employers to choose between existing special expansion work methods and new supplementary measures. On the other hand, those who choose supplementary measures are required to undergo a mandatory health check.
Additionally, the government has decided to streamline the reassessment criteria for approval of special expansion work, as the report shows. It facilitates the process of verifying whether the personnel required for research and development are essential.
The government and rival parties first discussed the enactment of a special bill to exempt semiconductor workers from the country’s 52-hour worker system, as shown in Yonghap News, but they were unable to reach a consensus.
As quoted in Yonhap News, Minister of Industry Ahn Duk-Geun has expressed concern about the Korean semiconductor industry amidst fierce global competition. He emphasized that while the US, Japan and Taiwan have made significant investments in semiconductor ecosystems, China has largely closed the gap in memory chip technology, a key pillar of South Korea’s economic growth.
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(Photo credit: Samsung)
Please note that this article quotes information from Chosun biz and Yonhap News.
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