Australian Media Highlights Korea's 69-Hour Workweek Proposal
Draws Attention by Using the Term "Kwarosa"
"Collectivist and Hierarchical Culture to Blame"
Australian media outlets have drawn attention by using the term "kwarosa," a transliteration of the Korean word for death from overwork, while covering the Korean government's push for the "maximum 69-hour workweek" policy.
On March 14 (local time), Australia's ABC News published an article titled "South Korea proposes 69-hour workweek. How does it compare to Australia and other Asian countries?" The article reported, "The Korean government is working to pass a reform bill that would allow workers to work up to 69 hours per week."
The article went on to explain that the opposition Democratic Party introduced the "52-hour workweek" in 2018 when it was in power, and although the current government is trying to increase this limit to 69 hours, the National Assembly is still controlled by the opposition, which opposes the reform.
ABC noted, "South Koreans already work longer hours than people in other countries," reporting that South Koreans work an average of 1,915 hours per year, exceeding the OECD average of 1,716 hours.
The article also introduced the term "Kwarosa," explaining that it refers to "sudden death from heart failure or stroke caused by extreme overwork," and noted that such a term exists due to Korea's work culture.
ABC added that South Korea is not the only country with long working hours. In Japan, there is a similar term, "karoshi," and in China, the "996" system-referring to working from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., six days a week-illustrates the prevalence of long working hours.
In contrast, the maximum weekly working hours in Australia is 38. Unlike in Korea, there is no upper limit on overtime, but workers can refuse unreasonable overtime, so the actual working hours are not as long as those in Asian countries.
Christine, who worked as an English teacher in both Korea and Japan, told ABC in an interview, "I witnessed colleagues working long hours beyond their official finishing time, which negatively affected their mental health." She added, "Sometimes, they worked more than 12 hours a day."
She continued, "I also saw colleagues who stayed at work even after finishing their tasks, simply because of social pressure," pointing out that such a work environment actually lowers the quality of work.
Connie Chung, an associate professor at the University of South Australia, explained the long working hours in Asia by stating, "Western societies tend to be individualistic and non-hierarchical, whereas Asian societies are collectivist and hierarchical in culture."
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