CNN "Shortening working hours increases productivity, but at least 'some countries' don't know" = Korean coverage

Foreign media also paid attention to the Korean government's reform of the 69-hour work week.

On March 19th (local time), CNN said, "Although the trend to shorten working hours is trending in various countries around the world to improve the mental health and productivity of workers, at least some countries have missed this trend. The plan by the South Korean government to raise the upper limit of working hours from the current 52 hours per week to 69 hours was met with headwinds from the MZ generation (the generation born between 1981 and 2010).

CNN directly referred to South Korea's karoshi, saying, "This country, an economic powerhouse in East Asia, already has one of the longest working hours in the world. Dozens of people die from overwork every year."

The media said, "The South Korean government has tried to increase working hours due to pressure from companies seeking to improve productivity. It's been thought of as a way to do it."

It went on to say, "However, it was criticized by critics who argued that tightening regulations on workers would only make things worse. citing increasing disenchantment among the younger generation as an example."

A 25-year-old college student living in Seoul told CNN, "The government's proposal (maximum 69-hour work week) is out of the question and far from what workers actually want. There will be pressure to overwork," he said.

He continued, "My father has an excessive amount of work every week and there is no boundary between work and life. Unfortunately, this is quite common in the (South Korean) labor market. , South Koreans will be vulnerable to deadly overtime because they cannot be monitored 24 hours a day."

CNN reported that South Korea will work 1,915 hours in 2021, far higher than the OECD average of 1,716 hours and the United States' 1,767 hours.

In addition, citing South Korean government documents, "In 2017, before the government reduced the upper limit of working hours to 52 hours a week, hundreds of people died from overwork, but even after the introduction of the 52-hour work week, there were still overwork. Death cases continue to become a hot topic. During the coronavirus pandemic, 14 delivery workers who sacrificed their mental health and welfare died from overwork."