SEOUL, May 05 (AJP) - South Korea is projected to reduce its annual labor hours to 1,739 by 2030, a shift that signals the nation's gradual departure from a culture of long-duration work toward global standards, data released by the Ministry of Employment and Labor showed Tuesday.
The trajectory, identified in a report by the Korean Association of Industrial Relations, meets the objective of the lbor ministry to align with the average of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. It marks a significant move for a country that has historically maintained one of the most grueling work schedules in the developed world.
Progress has already been substantial, according to recent data. Annual work hours dropped from 1,996 in 2017 to 1,859 in 2024, representing a reduction of 137 hours over a seven-year period.
This decline stems primarily from legal reforms, including the implementation of the 52-hour maximum work week and the wider adoption of the five-day system. These measures successfully targeted long-duration labor by reducing the number of employees working far beyond the standard 40-hour limit.
Despite the improvement, the report warns that the current pace may be difficult to maintain. South Korea still ranks sixth for the longest working hours among 37 OECD member states, trailing only nations such as Mexico, Colombia, and Costa Rica.
A primary obstacle remains the structural rigidity of the South Korean labor market. Over 53 percent of the workforce is concentrated in a strict 40-hour weekly schedule, a lack of diversity that researchers say prevents further natural reductions.
In contrast, only 12.5 percent of French workers and 30.9 percent of German workers follow such a uniform pattern. Within the European Union, only Luxembourg and Portugal show a similar concentration of 40-hour work weeks, at 55.4 percent and 57.3 percent, respectively.
Cultural norms regarding leisure further complicate the transition. While nearly 50 percent of the workforce in major European nations takes leave during the summer, only 3 percent of South Korean workers do the same.
The disparity is often attributed to office environments where employees feel pressured to avoid taking consecutive days off. To address this, the report suggests the government must expand the range of available work arrangements and foster a culture where workers can fully utilize their annual leave.
Researchers also emphasized the need to protect industrial output during this shift. The report argued that a simple cap on hours is insufficient and that the government must ensure shorter hours are paired with increased efficiency to prevent a drop in national productivity.
The Ministry of Employment and Labor established a dedicated task force for reducing actual working hours in September last year. It followed this with a joint declaration and a specific policy roadmap in December.
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