Gapjil119, a South Korean online-based labor rights advocacy group, commissioned polling firm Global Research to conduct a survey from Dec. 2 to 11 last year, targeting 1,000 office workers aged 19 and older nationwide. The survey found that 77.9 percent of respondents agreed on the need to implement policies to reduce working hours and set an overtime limit by the end of this year.
Support for these measures was relatively higher among women (81.9 percent), workers in their 30s (83.3 percent), and general employees (81.3 percent).
Regarding the comprehensive wage system, in which a fixed amount of overtime pay is included in salaries regardless of actual working hours, 78.1 percent of respondents said that the government should push for a complete ban on the practice.
Gapjil119 criticized the government’s recent decision to grant special exemptions allowing semiconductor research and development (R&D) personnel to work up to 64 hours per week, arguing that it could worsen overall working conditions.
Kim Do-ha, a labor attorney affiliated with the group, stated, "Long working hours pose a direct threat to workers' health and safety. Reducing working hours is essential to ensure workers can maintain their health and work-life balance."
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