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Government to push 4.5-day workweek bill this year

Published: 17 Sep. 2025, 16:47 Updated: 17 Sep. 2025, 20:31

YOON SO-YEON
[email protected]

Cho Won-cheol, Minister of Government Legisation, announces the government's legislative goals at the Sejong Government Complex on Sept. 17. [YONHAP]

The government aims to push its so-called 4.5-day workweek bill to the National Assembly by the end of the year, according to reports on Wednesday.

The item was included in the list of the Ministry of Government Legislation's main 123 legislative missions set to be completed by the end of President Lee Jae Myung's five-year term, including 110 National Assembly bills and revisions to 66 subordinate laws. The list was finalized on Tuesday.

The 4.5-day workweek schedule is being organized by the Ministry of Employment and Labor, as promised by President Lee Jae Myung during his presidential campaign. Lee had vowed to cut half a day's work every week while keeping the same level of wages.

The government will likely start by implementing a policy to give incentives to companies that support the 4.5-day workweek, rather than forcing it onto the industry. Efforts to make it official will likely start in 2027, according to reports.

One of the items will also include the abolishment of the so-called "blanket wage system," where an employer preemptively includes extra work hours in the annual salary so that any actual overtime hours are not counted toward monthly salaries. The system is supposed to be used for positions whose working hours are flexible and hard to pin down, but it has often been abused by companies to force overtime without paying.

Other bills set to be submitted this year include: Integrating medical support for war veterans and introducing a dedicated physician system; designating and fostering specialized companies in the smart manufacturing industry; guaranteeing workplace rights for all workers, including platform and freelance workers; and designating defense-related advanced strategic industries.

The Legislation Ministry recently established a control team for legislative efforts to oversee the legislation process and react to major obstacles, according to reports.

BY YOON SO-YEON [[email protected]]