Gangwon to pursue 4-day workweek

Social Affairs

Published: 18 Feb. 2024, 14:19 Updated: 18 Feb. 2024, 18:24

Gangwon to pursue 4-day workweek

Gangwon Gov. Kim Jin-tae speaks at a press conference held at the self-governing province's office on Jan. 2. [GANGWON STATE]

Gangwon Gov. Kim Jin-tae stressed the significance of implementing a four-day workweek to help the state "break free from the severe issue of population decline."

"Implementing the four-day workweek will be a significant opportunity for the state," Kim said in his New Year’s speech during the first plenary session of the Gangwon State Council's 325th extraordinary session held last Wednesday, adding that the concept is a recent topic of conversation.

"[The state will] thoroughly study and prepare policy alternatives from now on, ensuring that the state can garner the attention and interest of the entire nation when introducing the four-day workweek in the future."

He pointed out that adopting the system is a global trend, with major Korean conglomerates like Samsung Electronics, Posco and SK Group piloting the system.

Posco began adopting the four-day workweek biweekly last month. Samsung Electronics introduced the work system in June of last year, while SK Group began gradually adopting it at its companies in 2019.

"The four-day workweek will soon lead to an expansion of leisure time," Kim said, anticipating that the implementation will result in a boom in the local real estate market.

The governor added that the state is attentively preparing for the third amendment of the Gangwon Special Act, which includes legislation on tax benefits such as the exemption of inheritance and corporate taxes.

Gangwon proclaimed its new status as a special self-governing province last June. With its new status, Gangwon State gains the autonomy to ease regulations set by the central government in the forestry, environment, agriculture and defense sectors.

Gangwon is now the third region to be granted self-governing status in the country, following Jeju in 2006 and Sejong in 2012.

BY CHO JUNG-WOO [cho.jungwoo1@joongang.co.kr]