Minor opposition Justice Party presidential candidate Sim Sang-jung on Friday officially announced her campaign pledge to realize a four-day workweek.
Sim claimed that the Korean society was suffering from time poverty, and said excessive working hours create a new type of disparity: an inequality of time free from work concerns.
She said the European Union set 35-hour workweek guidelines 30 years ago while Iceland and Spain have recently begun trials of the shortened workweek at the state level.
Sim said working just four days a week is not a pipe dream, noting that some publishing houses and advertising and cosmetic firms have already adopted the rule.
The presidential contender vowed to set up a task force to begin social discussions on the issue with a plan to adopt the system from 2023 for certain establishments. Sim argued that working four days will also help fight the climate crisis as it will reduce carbon emissions.
Source: KBS World Radio