The 69-hour work week is unlikely to ever become a reality in South Korea after all Economy

The South Korean government’s plan to extend the maximum work week from 52 to 69 hours is likely to fail. That reports the British newspaper Watchman Wednesday. Many young people in the country protested the plan, arguing that it would endanger their health.

Companies in South Korea have complained that the current 52-hour work week makes it difficult to meet deadlines. Then the government came up with a plan to extend the work week by seventeen hours.

President Yoon Seok-yeol initially supported plans for an extended work week. But the numerous protests in the country, mainly involving young people, prompted the government to reconsider the plan.

South Korean unions have strongly opposed the plan since it was announced. It would force people to work longer hours, they said, because the work week in the country is already much longer than in many other countries.

“It will become legal to work from nine in the morning until twelve in the morning for five consecutive days,” the Korean unions said in a statement. “There is no regard for the health of the workers or the rest of the workers.”

In 2018, the Liberal Democratic Party introduced a law that limits the work week to 52 hours. Before that, the working week in South Korea was longer.