South Korea to Keep 52 Hour Work Week, But Seek Modifications for Some Professions

The 52 hour work week is really just 40 hours like in the U.S. but has an additional 12 hours of overtime. I can understand how limiting workers to only 12 hours of overtime can constrain employers and workers in some industries:

The country currently adopts a 52-hour work week — 40 regular hours with 12 hours of possible overtime. It was introduced in 2018 by the liberal Moon Jae-in government to reduce the maximum week from 68 hours at the time to 52. 

Citing its latest survey, the ministry said the 52-hour workweek has substantially taken root, but some industries have still experienced management problems due to a lack of flexibility in working hours and difficulties meeting deadlines.

In the survey, 48.2 percent of the respondents said the 52-hour workweek has helped relieve matters stemming from work overload, but 54.9 percent said the existing system has failed to reflect the characteristics of some industries. 

In particular, both workers and employers in the manufacturing and construction industries as well as the medical, research and engineering sectors said overtime management of the current workweek needs to undergo changes.

Accepting these survey results, the ministry will maintain the 52-hour workweek, while at the same time beginning discussions with industries that have experienced difficulties abiding by the current rule, seeking to come up with complementary measures that could improve flexibility.

The ministry will also prepare measures aimed at resolving workers’ health concerns that could be affected by the long work hours at those industries.

Korea Times

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