Labor minister proposes social dialogue over mega cluster bill

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SEOUL, Sept. 15 (Yonhap) -- Labor Minister Kim Young-hoon on Tuesday proposed a "one-point social dialogue" to discuss contentious issues surrounding an envisioned special bill that would significantly relax labor regulations, including the 52-hour workweek limit, in mega-scale semiconductor clusters.

The government aims to introduce the so-called mega cluster bill by the end of this month, which may include a plan to exempt managers and researchers in the top 3 percent of income earners from the 52-hour workweek limit, as well as overtime, night and holiday work allowances. The nation's 52-hour workweek law was introduced in 2018 to prevent overwork.

In addition, the government is considering extending the basis period for the selective working hour system from the current one month to six months in the special mega clusters. The selective working hour system is designed to allow employees to work intensively during a specific period, as long as their total working hours over the basis period do not exceed the limit.

But the nation's two major umbrella labor unions have strongly condemned the government's move to relax the 52-hour workweek rule as an anti-labor policy and vowed to block the proposed special law.

Labor Minister Kim Young-hoon (C) speaks in a press conference at the Seoul government complex on Sept. 15, 2026. (Yonhap)

Kim held a press conference at the Seoul government complex to propose the single-issue social dialogue, saying that the special exemptions currently being discussed as part of the mega cluster bill represent a path that Korean society has yet to take.

The minister said the bill will also include comprehensive regulatory exemptions and policy support covering fiscal measures, financing and infrastructure development.

"We're discussing labor provisions applicable only within the special mega cluster zones. They are a core element of the bill, given that healthy labor is the driving force behind corporate value creation and our society's progress toward sustainable growth," Kim said.

The minister then stressed that the proposed social dialogue will cover not only special labor provisions but also any proposals made by labor and management aimed at protecting workers' health and enhancing corporate productivity.

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Labor minister proposes social dialogue over mega cluster bill

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首尔，9月15日（韩联社）——韩国劳动部长金英勋周二提议举行“一站式社会对话”，讨论围绕一项设想中的特别法案的争议性问题。该法案将大幅放宽大型半导体产业集群的劳动法规，包括每周52小时的工作时间限制。

政府计划在本月底前推出所谓的“大型产业集群法案”，其中可能包括一项计划，即豁免收入最高的3%人群中的管理人员和研究人员遵守每周52小时工作制的限制，以及加班费、夜班津贴和节假日津贴。韩国于2018年出台了每周52小时工作制，旨在防止过度劳累。

此外，政府正在考虑将特大型产业集群的选择性工时制度的基准期从目前的一个月延长至六个月。选择性工时制度旨在允许员工在特定时期内集中工作，前提是其在基准期内的总工时不超过规定上限。

但该国两大工会组织强烈谴责政府放宽每周 52 小时工作制的规定，称其为反劳工政策，并誓言阻止拟议的特别法。

2026年9月15日，韩国劳动部长官金泳勋（中）在首尔市政府大楼举行的新闻发布会上发表讲话。（韩联社）

金在首尔市政府大楼举行新闻发布会，提议开展单一议题社会对话，并表示目前正在讨论的大型产业集群法案中的特殊豁免条款代表了韩国社会尚未走上的道路。

部长表示，该法案还将包括全面的监管豁免和政策支持，涵盖财政措施、融资和基础设施发展。

金表示：“我们正在讨论仅适用于特大产业集群区的劳动条款。鉴于健康的劳动力是企业价值创造和我们社会迈向可持续增长的驱动力，这些条款是该法案的核心要素。”

部长随后强调，拟议的社会对话不仅涵盖特殊的劳动条款，还将涵盖劳资双方为保护工人健康和提高企业生产力而提出的任何建议。

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