How South Korea Is Supporting Shorter Working Hours

South Korea's rapid economic development was accompanied by a workplace culture in which long hours were often treated as evidence of loyalty and effort. That expectation has weakened, but debates about working time remain closely connected to productivity, income, health and family life.

The Labour Standards Act uses a 40-hour standard week and generally permits up to 12 additional hours of overtime. A reform introduced from 2018 reduced the commonly discussed maximum from 68 to 52 hours and was gradually extended to workplaces with at least five employees. [1]

The reform produced measurable change. According to the OECD, 54 percent of employed Koreans worked at least 50 hours a week in 2000, compared with 17 percent in 2023. The later figure was still above the OECD average of 9.8 percent. [2]

Annual working time also remains comparatively high. The OECD reported 1,872 hours per worker, roughly 200 hours above its overall average. These figures suggest that Korea has moved substantially away from its earlier pattern without completely closing the gap. [2]

Current policy is beginning to look beyond a legal maximum. The OECD reported in 2026 that government support was being provided to workplaces testing shorter arrangements, including a four-and-a-half-day week, without reducing wages. [3]

Supporters argue that shorter hours can give workers more time for sleep, exercise, childcare and relationships. Employers may also benefit when rested employees make fewer mistakes, remain with the company longer and concentrate more effectively during scheduled hours.

The economic effects are not identical for everyone. Some workers depend on overtime pay, while small companies may have difficulty hiring enough staff to cover the same amount of work. A reduction in hours can therefore feel beneficial to one employee and financially threatening to another.

Management practices are equally important. A company can formally obey the 52-hour rule while still holding unnecessary meetings, rewarding employees who remain visible late in the evening or sending messages that create pressure outside normal hours.

Digital communication has made the boundary harder to measure. An employee who leaves the office at six but answers work messages throughout the evening may appear to have a short recorded day while experiencing a much longer psychological workday.

Shorter schedules are most likely to succeed when companies redesign tasks rather than simply demanding the same output in less time. Clear priorities, adequate staffing and limits on after-hours communication may matter as much as the official weekly total.

South Korea's experience shows that working-time reform is not a single change from one number to another. It is a negotiation over wages, productivity and the value of personal time, and its success depends on whether workplace culture changes alongside the law.