Workweek reform hurts public support for Yoon, PPP

The Korean Confederation of Trade Unions officials protesting to the government's working hour reform plan at the union's headquarters in central Seoul on Monday. [YONHAP]

The controversy over the government’s proposed workweek reform continues to grow, harming public support for the president and his party.

In his first meeting since returning from Japan, President Yoon Suk Yeol ordered his staff to come up with measures to reduce public anxiety over working hour reform.

President Yoon particularly emphasized compensation for extended working hours, namely, wages and vacation.

The government has met with a backlash since announcing plans to increase the flexibility of the 52 hour workweek system on March 6, especially from young people.

The proposed changes aim to help smaller businesses that are financially burdened by working hour regulations.

During peak seasons, small businesses have been forced to cut back on orders or hire additional hands.

However, under the changes, the maximum workweek could be temporarily extended to 69.

While the plan promised longer breaks for workers who have done extended overtime, it immediately faced criticism, including from foreign media that pointed to gwarosa, or death from overwork.

On Thursday, the presidential office announced that even the president believes over 60 work hours a week to be “unreasonable.”

The president’s office also blamed insufficient promotional efforts for the recent criticism.

“Significant increases in working hours are unlikely under the new working hour regulation,” said a high ranking presidential official who requested anonymity.

The official stressed that due to the plan’s flexibility, working hours will not be extended as many worry.

According to a survey by Realmeter’s survey conducted last week, President Yoon’s approval rating dipped 2.1 percentage points to 36.8 percent, whereas disapproval of the president increased 1.5 percentage points to 60.4 percent.

This is the first time in five weeks that President Yoon’s disapproval surpassed 60 percent.

Support for the liberal Democratic Party (DP) widened against that of the president’s conservative People Power Party (PPP).

The DP’s support was 42.6 percent between March 6 and March 10, compared to the PPP’s 41.5 percent.

That gap grew last week as the DP’s support hit 46.4 percent against the PPP’s 37 percent.

In particular, 45 percent of respondents in their 20s supported the DP, while only 30 percent supported the PPP. Among respondents in their 30s, 51 percent supported the DP while 28 percent supported the PPP.

BY LEE HO-JEONG [lee.hojeong@joongang.co.kr]