For now, the 52-hour workweek is for companies with more than 300 workers, but will apply to all employers by 2021. Korea is notorious for having excessive work hours, with its employees having labored an average of 2,069 hours in 2016, second only to Mexico. This number far surpasses the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development countries' average yearly hours of 1,764.

South Korean President Moon Jae-in had made an election promise to help improve work-life balance and noted recently that the shorter workweek "will bring huge changes to our society..."

"Our workers will be able to get away from the fatigue of the long hours and spend more time with their families and have quality evening time," he said.
Earlier in the year, lawmakers introduced the bill to cut back work hours, as reported.