8 hours a day and 40 hours a week. These figures are working hours regulated by the law. When employers and workers are in written agreement, extended works are allowed up to 12 hours a week.
The weekly 40 working-hour system was introduced in July 2004. However, workers actually work up to 68 hours a week, because 16 hours(8 hours + 8 hours) done on Saturdays and Sundays are supposed to be added to the maximum 52 working hours a week. This anomaly happened, because the Ministry of Employment and Labor wrongly interpreted in the administrative process of the law implementation that a week comprises 5 working days, excluding the weekend.
When the plenary session of the National Assembly passes the revision bill of the Labor Standards Act which was adopted by the Environment and Labor Committee on Feb. 27, the weekly 52 working-hour system will be finally back on track since it was introduced 14 years ago.
reported by Kim Hak-tae
translated by Kim Sung-jin