Blue House Takes Cautious Stance on 52-Hour Workweek Exemption for Mega Special Zone: "Not Directly Linked to Project Success"

President Lee Presides Over '2nd Public-Private Joint Mega Project Inspection Meeting'

"Consent from Labor and Local Communities Is Essential... Not an Issue the President Can Unilaterally Direct"

Blue House Preparing Senior-Level Dedicated Team; Pan-Government Support Council to Be Established in Prime Minister’s Office

Samsung and SK: "We Didn’t Expect Such Rapid Progress"... Gwangju Military Airport Relocation Discussions Underway with the U.S.

On August 10, the Blue House expressed a cautious stance regarding the inclusion of exemptions to the 52-hour workweek in the Mega Project Special Act. This position stems from the judgment that the success of the mega project is not directly linked to relaxing working hour regulations. However, the Blue House has decided to establish a "two-track" implementation system: a senior-level dedicated team for mega projects within the Blue House, and a pan-governmental support council in the Office of the Prime Minister, to continuously coordinate various regulations and inter-ministerial interests.

President Lee Jae-myung is presiding over the 2nd Joint Public-Private Inspection Meeting on Mega Projects at the Blue House on August 10, 2026. Photo by Yonhap News.

A senior official at the Blue House, during a briefing with reporters immediately after President Lee Jae-myung presided over the "2nd Public-Private Joint Mega Project Inspection Meeting" at the Blue House earlier that day, said regarding the possibility of including an exemption to the 52-hour workweek in the Special Act for the Mega Special Zone, "There was some discussion on this part today." He also stated, "We do not believe that the success of the mega project is directly tied to the issue of the 52-hour workweek."

The official made it clear that any regulatory improvement would be considered only with the consent of labor unions and local communities. The senior official at the Blue House remarked, "Since the labor community is strongly opposed, rather than us expressing our position first, the relevant local communities and labor groups must discuss and reach an agreement for this to be possible." He added, "This is not an issue that can be unilaterally directed by the president or the Blue House alone." Against the backdrop of calls from the industrial sector—such as the R&D field—for easing work-hour regulations, and the strong opposition from the labor community, this indicates a preference for prioritizing social consensus over a blanket legal exemption via the special law.

The pan-government implementation system to enhance mega project execution capabilities was also further specified. The Blue House plans to set up a newly announced dedicated senior-level organization for mega projects, while the Office of the Prime Minister will launch the "Pan-Government Mega Project Support Council." The intent is for the Prime Minister’s Office to resolve regulatory obstacles and inter-ministerial disagreements at the working level, while the Blue House tackles larger-scale issues that transcend individual ministries, clearly dividing their roles.

The business sector responded positively to the Blue House and government’s "fast-track" approach to mega projects. According to a senior official at the Blue House, representatives from Samsung and SK who attended the meeting said they "did not expect things to move this quickly, and are very grateful." Both companies also expressed their intention to do their utmost to meet their investment commitments in line with government support.

President Lee Jae-myung is performing the national salute at the 2nd Mega Project Public-Private Joint Inspection Meeting held at the Blue House on the 10th. 2026.8.10 Yonhap News Agency

Regarding the goal of completing the temporary relocation of functions at Gwangju Military Airport by 2028, it was reported that negotiations with the United States are progressing smoothly. As Gwangju Military Airport serves as a joint operation base for South Korea and the U.S., hosting core U.S. military forces in wartime, coordination with the U.S. side is essential. The senior official at the Blue House stated, "We plan to actively engage with the U.S. side at the pan-government level so that U.S. facilities can be relocated early without negatively impacting the combined defense posture and South Korea-U.S. alliance issues," and added, "So far, the U.S. has been responding positively to the discussions."

Plans are also underway to secure additional land beyond the existing 2.5 million pyeong designated for Gwangju Military Airport as a candidate site for the national industrial complex. However, the Blue House did not disclose specific candidate areas in consideration of their impact on the real estate market. A senior official explained, "We decided to look for even more land, on top of the 2.5 million pyeong, where new factories and companies can be established." Regarding the establishment of a power transmission network, the official said, "We have also checked the transmission network issue," and added, "We have confirmed that everything is progressing smoothly within the scheduled timeframe."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.