Yoon Mentions Working Hours, Says "Will Seek Measures to Ensure No Instability in Compensation System"

Presided Over Senior Secretary Meeting on the Morning of the 20th and Issued Directives... Also Requested Follow-up Measures for the Korea-Japan Summit

President Yoon Suk-yeol on the 20th instructed to "devise a definite guarantee to ensure there is no anxiety regarding the compensation system such as wages and leave" in relation to the policy of flexible working hours.

The presidential office reported that President Yoon gave this instruction during the senior secretaries' meeting held at the Yongsan Presidential Office that morning. This appears to be a measure in response to public concerns that the working hours reform plan promoted by the Ministry of Employment and Labor, which highlights 'up to 69 hours per week,' might be forcing long working hours without proper compensation.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

President Yoon also mentioned the results of his visit to Japan last week, stating, "Each ministry must make thorough follow-up efforts so that the public can feel the improvement and cooperation in Korea-Japan relations."

The government plans to send a diplomatic note to the Japanese government early this week to normalize the Korea-Japan General Security of Military Information Agreement (GSOMIA). This follows the official mention of GSOMIA normalization during the Korea-Japan summit on the 16th, after which the Ministry of National Defense sent a letter to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs requesting follow-up actions. A presidential office official described this measure as the "de facto first substantial achievement" after the summit, adding, "Since the most important axis in Korea-Japan security relations is taking immediate normalization steps, discussions on expanding cooperation to various fields such as economy and culture are expected to proceed promptly."

The presidential office plans to promptly inform the public of the results of the follow-up measures on GSOMIA normalization and intends to broaden the military cooperation will between Korea and Japan into the economic sector. In line with this, economic-related ministries such as the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy are preparing exchanges in various fields, and the industrial sector has also begun establishing concrete cooperation procedures focusing on semiconductors, batteries, and electric vehicles.