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Four-way meeting of gov't, lawmakers ends in deadlock over working hour cap, other economic issues

Published: 20 Feb. 2025, 19:26

SHIN HA-NEE
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From left: Democratic Party chief Rep. Lee Jae-myung, acting President Choi Sang-mok, National Assembly Speaker Woo Won-shik, and interim People Power Party leader Rep. Kwon Young-se in western Seoul on Feb. 20 [JOINT PRESS CORPS]

A four-way consultative body — consisting of the acting president, the National Assembly speaker and leaders of both main political parties — failed to reach an agreement on all economic agenda items discussed during its meeting on Thursday, including the controversial lifting of the 52-hour workweek cap for the semiconductor industry and a supplementary budget.

The meeting marked the first since the organization’s inception nearly two months ago.

"The discussion on the necessity of the supplementary budget will continue," interim People Power Party (PPP) leader Kwon Young-se told reporters after the meeting, which lasted for almost two hours after it began at 5 p.m.

The passage of the Special Act on Semiconductors, which includes clauses permitting more than 52 hours of work a week in the semiconductor industry, "was disappointingly postponed," said Kwon.

The policy consultation body was established in early January to facilitate cooperation among the government and lawmakers amid a political turmoil driven by a leadership vacuum, with its first working-level discussion on Jan. 9.

However, the Thursday meeting was the first time the four members have held a formal discussion. The meeting, initially scheduled for Feb. 10, was postponed after the two parties failed to agree on an agenda.

One of the most contentious issues on the table was the lift of a 52-hour workweek limit in the semiconductor industry, alongside the supplementary budget approval.

“There is no time to waste,” said acting President Choi Sang-mok during the meeting at the National Assembly in western Seoul, urging for the passage of the Special Act on Semiconductors.

“Advanced workforces in major economies, such as the United States and Japan, are making all-out efforts to develop new technologies without a work-hour limit,” the acting president stressed, adding that the U.S. administration’s threats to levy tariffs on semiconductor imports added to the mounting drawbacks.

Without a workweek cap exemption, “the bill will merely be a ‘normal act,’ rather than a ‘special act,’” Choi said. “I believe we can reach a reasonable resolution with safety nets in place to protect workers’ health rights.”

During the meeting, DP chief Rep. Lee Jae-myung said it was “difficult to agree” with Choi’s argument that lifting the 52-hour cap is integral to the Special Semiconductor Act.

“If the opposition from labor unions raises challenges for the bill’s passage, there is no need to reject the rest of the support measures because of that,” said Lee, adding, “We need to adopt a flexible stance.”

BY SHIN HA-NEE [[email protected]]