Tripartite Social Dialogue on Mega Special Zone Exemption from 52-Hour Workweek: "Working-Level Meeting Aimed for This Week"

The government is working to begin full-scale tripartite social dialogue among labor, management, and the government on the tentatively named Mega Special Zone Special Act this week. This follows a consensus reached on the need for social dialogue at a vice-ministerial-level preliminary discussion among labor, management, and the government on September 18, and the government is currently coordinating the detailed schedule for a working-level meeting.

On September 21, an official from the Ministry of Employment and Labor stated, "We are checking and coordinating the availability of participants so that we can hold the meeting this week if possible," and added, "We will announce the exact date as soon as it is confirmed."

Previously, last week, deputy heads of the Federation of Korean Trade Unions and the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions, vice presidents of the Korea Employers Federation and the Korea Chamber of Commerce & Industry, vice-ministerial level officials from the Ministry of Employment and Labor, Office for Government Policy Coordination, Ministry of Economy and Finance, and Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, as well as a standing commissioner from the Economic, Social and Labor Council, held a preliminary "one-point" social dialogue on the Mega Special Zone Special Act.

Kim Younghoon, Minister of Employment and Labor, is holding a briefing on September 15 at the Government Seoul Office in Jongno-gu, Seoul, regarding the "Proposal for Social Dialogue Related to the Mega Special Zone Special Act." 2026.9.15 Photo by Jo Yongjun

An official explained, "You can think of September 18 as the starting point for social dialogue. We held a preliminary meeting at the vice-ministerial level, and specific progress on the agenda and procedures will be determined as we gather opinions through working-level meetings."

The agenda for the working-level meeting has not yet been finalized. The official said, "How the agenda will be determined will be discussed at the working-level meeting," and added, "During the first working-level meeting, we will discuss specific operational methods and agenda items."

The participation of individual companies such as Samsung Electronics and SK hynix is also yet to be decided. The Ministry of Employment and Labor official remarked, "The labor, management, and government representatives who attended before are expected to form the core of the working-level discussions," but added, "We need to hear the opinions of the business sector regarding this."

The government believes it is necessary to pursue social dialogue at a rapid pace, given the legislative timeline of the Mega Special Zone Special Act. However, the Ministry of Employment and Labor has not officially presented a specific deadline or legislative schedule.

The Ministry of Employment and Labor official stated, "Social dialogue fundamentally depends on joint decision-making among stakeholders," and added, "Once the working-level meetings are underway, we will make sure to communicate with the Labor Policy Office to provide accurate updates to journalists regarding points of interest or difficulty."

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