Korean youth protest against working 69 hours/week

People on the streets of Seoul (Photo: AFP).

According to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), South Korea is one of the countries with the longest working hours in the world, ranking fourth after Mexico, Costa Rica and Chile in 2021. The South Korean government plans to raise the ceiling on working hours for workers from 52 hours/week to 69 hours/week under pressure from large businesses wanting to increase productivity.

However, the plan has faced fierce opposition from unions, especially young people. The government of President Yoon Suk Yeol said on March 15 that it would consider a new direction after listening to the opinions of the people, while pledging to protect the rights and interests of young people.

The idea of ​​increasing working hours is considered a solution by the Korean government to deal with the risk of labor shortage due to the decreasing birth rate and increasing aging population. However, experts warn that this solution could make the situation worse.

In fact, in 2018, Korea had to reduce the maximum working hours from 68 hours/week to 52 hours/week as present.

According to OECD estimates, South Koreans worked an average of 1,915 hours in 2021, much higher than the 1,767 hours of Americans.

Longer working hours were seen as a driving force behind South Korea's economic growth after the Korean War in the 1950s, helping the country become one of the world's largest economies. However, critics say the downside of this policy is "death by overwork" or suicide due to pressure.

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/the-gioi/gioi-tre-han-quoc-phan-doi-lam-69-giotuan-20230319144539359.htm