South Korea plans to increase weekly working hours from 52 to 69

ANKARA (AA) – South Korea is planning to increase its 52-hour workweek to 69 hours per week, nevertheless, President Yoon Suk Yeol has directed concerned officials to seek input from the young generation before making any final decision, local media reported on Tuesday.

The president’s instructions came after a recent proposal submitted by the country's Labor Ministry to reform the current system to allow companies to increase the maximum weekly work hours to 69, according to Yonhap News Agency.

"Review areas that need to be fixed in the details of the bill and in communicating with the public by listening closely to the various opinions of workers, and especially the opinions of the MZ generation, which were expressed during the legislative preview period," a senior presidential secretary for press affairs Kim Eun-hye quoted Yoon as saying.

"MZ generation" is a Korean term for millennials and Generation Z.

However, later Prime Minister Han Duck-soo told reporters in Seoul that Yoon's instruction was not intended to completely reconsider the proposed workweek system.

Despite a reporter's question, Han did not provide additional details about the proposed plan and said the government will implement regulations to ensure timely payments and wages to workers.

The proposal is expected to be sent to parliament for final approval in June or July of this year, according to the news agency.

* Writing by Islamuddin Sajid​​​​​​​