Soyoung Lee Nominee: "Need to Improve Aspects of 52-Hour Workweek That Do Not Fit"

"Sentencing Up to Two Years in Prison Is Unreasonable"
On the Increase in Side Jobs Among SME Workers
"Broader Exceptions Possible When Labor and Management Are Equal"

Soyoung Lee, nominee for Minister of SMEs and Startups, acknowledged the need to improve the 52-hour workweek system, stating, "To impose a uniform and strict regulation and sentence business owners who violate it to up to two years in prison does not fit today's work structure."

Soyoung Lee, nominee for Minister of SMEs and Startups, is answering questions from members of the National Assembly during the confirmation hearing held at the National Assembly on September 15, 2026. Photo by Dongju Yoon

Lee made these remarks in response to questions regarding the 52-hour workweek at the confirmation hearing of the National Assembly’s Trade, Industry, Energy, SMEs, and Startups Committee held in Yeouido, Seoul, on September 15.

She added, "Working hours in our country are extremely long and there have been many instances of deaths from overwork, so from the perspective of worker health, there is a clear need to reduce working hours."

However, she explained, "Unlike in the past, when people commuted to factories for work, in many knowledge-based jobs nowadays, results are often evaluated based on outcomes rather than the number of hours worked."

She also expressed that there should be flexibility in the application of the comprehensive wage system. Lee said, "I believe there are industries and companies where counting working hours and paying allowances accordingly is not appropriate," and added, "For companies in such situations, a blanket ban or legally restricting the entire wage structure could further increase their difficulties."

Regarding survey results showing that the proportion of employees at SMEs who have side jobs increased by 37% after the implementation of the 52-hour workweek, Lee responded, "From the perspective of work-life balance, if employees have equal bargaining power with employers and can independently make decisions regarding working hours, I believe exceptions can be more widely permitted."

Although the Lee Jaemyung administration has listed the introduction of a 4.5-day workweek as a national policy goal, the SME sector says that applying it is difficult in practice. On this, Lee commented, "This is not something that should be mandated by regulation," and explained, "To my knowledge, the government is reflecting budget support such as subsidies or incentives for companies implementing the pilot programs."

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