President Lee Jae-myung emphasized on October 23 that any exceptions to the 52-hour workweek for the semiconductor industry must include wage compensation for additional labor. He called for discussions on improving existing systems and administrative procedures to address workplace challenges while considering workers' health rights.
During the second plenary meeting of the Regulatory Rationalization Committee held at the Blue House, President Lee stated, "The fundamental principle is that we cannot create a system that does not compensate for additional labor through any special exception laws."
Park Geon-soo, Vice President of the Korea Semiconductor Industry Association, requested the realization of special working hour exceptions for key research and development personnel within the year. He also highlighted the administrative hurdles, such as prior approvals and the need for Ministry of Employment and Labor consent when utilizing the existing special extended work system.
In response, President Lee questioned whether existing systems could be supplemented to resolve these issues, asking, "Is there really a need to create a new system for this when we could provide comprehensive solutions in advance?" He noted that the remaining significant issue appears to be health rights.
President Lee instructed Minister of Employment and Labor Kim Young-hoon to engage in in-depth discussions with the industry on ways to amend enforcement decrees or simplify procedures. He also pointed out the lack of trust between labor and management, urging the ministry to take an active role. Minister Kim responded that he would examine the challenges faced by companies in utilizing existing systems and work to build trust to achieve results.
After the meeting, President Lee reiterated the direction of regulatory rationalization in a post on X (formerly Twitter). He stated, "We should not stop at 'there's a regulation, so we have no choice' but should boldly seek better methods." He described mega-projects and super-regional special zones as national strategies to break the vicious cycle of concentration in the metropolitan area and regional decline.
He promised to directly address the challenges faced by local youth to ensure they can work in their regions instead of migrating to the metropolitan area.
President Lee also mentioned the 300 regulatory exceptions included in the recently proposed super-regional special zone law. He expressed hope for thorough and swift review by the National Assembly and pledged to proactively improve any issues that can be resolved even before the law is enacted.
Regarding the lack of information and complex regulations in the startup process, he emphasized the need to eliminate conventional regulations, stating, "We will open a 'national startup era' where anyone with an idea can take on challenges."
President Lee concluded by stating, "It's not about how many regulations we have improved, but rather showing results in investment, startups, and job creation through numbers and achievements. We will ensure that changes on the ground will boost growth, plant the future in regions, and invigorate people's livelihoods."
* This article has been translated by AI.
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