South Korea
4-Day Work Week in South Korea
Once the world's longest-hours economy, South Korea is rethinking its relationship with work — from Gyeonggi Province's landmark pilot to presidential legislation and Samsung's flexible schedules.
South Korea has long ranked among the world's hardest-working nations. In 2022, the average worker clocked 1,901 hours — nearly 150 hours above the OECD average of 1,752.
That culture is shifting. A growing coalition of workers, unions, tech companies, and even the President are pushing for fewer, more productive hours — challenging the deeply ingrained belief that presence equals performance.
This page explores where South Korea stands today: the trials underway, the legislation proposed, the companies leading the charge, and the cultural forces at play.
A Nation Rethinking How It Works
South Korea's intense work culture — often described by the Korean term ppalli-ppalli (빨리빨리), meaning "hurry hurry" — has long been credited with driving the country's economic miracle. But decades of overwork have also brought burnout, falling birth rates, and declining productivity.
In 2022, the average South Korean worker put in 1,901 hours, far exceeding the OECD average of 1,752. This has prompted the Presidential Economic, Social, and Labor Council to initiate serious dialogue on work-life balance and flexibility within the existing 52-hour workweek cap.
The movement gained momentum in 2024 when Gyeonggi Province — South Korea's most populous region — announced it would launch a formal four-day workweek trial across over 50 organisations, starting January 2025. Participants can choose between a four-day week on alternate weeks, or reduced daily hours across five days.
Meanwhile, President Lee Jae-myung has made the 4.5-day workweek a flagship policy commitment, with the Reduced Working Hours Support Act submitted to the National Assembly in late 2025, proposing government subsidies for companies that adopt shorter hours.
Who's Saying What
The Gyeonggi Province Trial
South Korea's First Large-Scale 4-Day Workweek Pilot
Organised by the Gyeonggi Provincial Government, this trial spans more than 50 organisations across South Korea's most populous province — covering both public and private sector workers. Participants may choose either a compressed four-day week on alternating weeks or shorter daily hours spread across five days.
How Korea's Labour Laws Are Evolving
South Korea's 52-hour workweek cap — 40 regular hours plus up to 12 hours of overtime — has been in place since 2018. Employers must pay 1.5× the regular wage for overtime. Enforcement has tightened considerably in recent years.
The new Reduced Working Hours Support Act, submitted to the National Assembly in late 2025, proposes government subsidies for companies that voluntarily reduce working hours. This marks a shift from regulation to incentivisation.
The Presidential Economic, Social, and Labor Council's new committee on work-life balance is now the primary forum where unions, employers, and government negotiate these changes.
Vacation, Leave & Part-Time Work
- 1–11 days leave in the first year of employment, based on length of service
- 15–25 days after completing one full year, scaling with seniority
- 11 national public holidays observed; substitute holidays apply if they fall on weekends
- 90 days paid maternity leave for female employees
- 10 days paternity leave for male employees
- Up to 1 year of childcare leave available to either parent
- Policy reform being tied to low birth-rate discussions
- ~12.3% of South Korean employees now work part-time or temporary roles
- Part-timers entitled to minimum wage, overtime pay, and rest periods
- Most common in retail, hospitality, and food services
- Standard definition: fewer than 40 hours per week
South Korea's 11 National Holidays
From Rare to Mainstream
Before COVID-19, remote work was largely unheard of in South Korea. The country's deeply hierarchical office culture placed enormous emphasis on physical presence — being seen at your desk was as important as what you produced there.
The pandemic forced a rapid rethink. By August 2023, approximately 683,000 employees were working remotely, and the experience has permanently shifted attitudes. Younger workers, in particular, now view flexibility as a baseline expectation rather than a perk.
This cultural shift has made it easier to advocate for four-day and compressed work arrangements — if presence can be decoupled from productivity for remote work, the same logic applies to shorter weeks.
The 52-Hour Framework
South Korea's Labour Standards Act caps the workweek at 52 hours — comprising 40 regular hours and up to 12 hours of overtime. Employers must compensate overtime at a minimum rate of 1.5× the regular hourly wage.
In practice, enforcement varies by industry. Sectors like finance, tech, and large conglomerates tend to comply more strictly; smaller manufacturers and service businesses often struggle to stay within the cap, particularly during peak seasons.
The push for a 4- or 4.5-day workweek is partly motivated by a desire to reduce the legal cap further — moving from 52 to 40 or fewer hours, with stronger enforcement and government subsidies to offset the transition cost for employers.
Overtime paid at 1.5× regular wage