Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Strategy and Finance Choi Sang-mok: ”The 52-hour weekly exception for semiconductor companies is not about making money by violating the right to health” - South Korea

On the 15th, the heads of economic ministries and agencies reiterated their view that semiconductor companies should be granted an exception to the 52-hour work week limit.
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Strategy and Finance Choi Sang-mok responded to Lee Jae-myung during the National Assembly's government questioning on the same day.
In response to People Power Party lawmaker Seo Beom-soo's criticism that former Democratic Party leader Lee Jae-myung had changed his mind about the 52-hour workweek exception for semiconductor companies, he said, "It's an election-related matter, so I won't give it to a specific candidate."
"It is difficult to speak about the specifics of this," he said, but added, "There is clearly no intention to violate the health rights of workers through overtime work in order to make money and grow."
Deputy Prime Minister Choi said, "Semiconductors are a strategic asset for the nation, and since there is competition among countries, we need R&D personnel and other such areas.
"We are trying to allow it by providing various mechanisms such as the right to health and the right to choose," he explained. Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy Ahn Deok-geun also said, "We will continue to have a 52-hour work week regulation and the US's N
In response to a question from Lee Jung-bae, a member of the People's Power Party, asking whether the company can compete on an equal footing with VIDIA and Taiwan's TSMC, he said, "It's a little difficult. Our semiconductor companies are actually running around with sandbags.
Minister Ahn expressed concern about the current state of labor regulations in Taiwan, a competitive semiconductor industry nation, saying, "If labor and management agree, working hours are limited to 12 hours a day. In the case of TSMC,
Regarding the outlook for the U.S. government's imposition of tariffs on semiconductors, Minister Ahn said, "It is being reported that the process of reaching a consensus has now begun.
"I think the announcement will be exactly as President Kampf has publicly stated," he said.