Kim Dongyeon Signs MOU with 68 Companies in the Province
Town Hall Meeting Held on "The Future of Work"
Gyeonggi Province is launching the nation's first full-scale pilot program for a 4.5-day workweek.
On the morning of June 19, Governor Kim Dongyeon of Gyeonggi signed a memorandum of understanding with 68 companies participating in the 4.5-day workweek pilot program at the Ramada Plaza Hotel in Suwon.
The core of the 4.5-day workweek pilot program is to apply a system of reduced working hours without wage cuts to 67 private companies in the Gyeonggi region, including Dongjin Valve Co., Ltd., as well as 68 organizations such as Gyeonggi Content Agency, a public institution under the province.
The program will be operated in various formats depending on each company's circumstances, including a 4.5-day workweek (with flexible choice of days), a 35-hour workweek, and a biweekly 4-day workweek.
According to the memorandum of understanding, employers and employees of participating companies and organizations will cooperate in the pilot program, while Gyeonggi Province and the Gyeonggi Job Foundation will provide support for necessary aspects of the program's implementation.
Through the agreement, employers and employees of participating organizations have committed to actively cooperate with the pilot program, and Gyeonggi Province and the Gyeonggi Job Foundation will support the necessary elements for the program's execution.
In particular, participating companies will receive up to 260,000 won per worker per month as a wage subsidy, as well as tailored consulting and support for the establishment of attendance management systems, up to 20 million won per company. Through these measures, Gyeonggi Province aims to fundamentally change working practices by realizing work-life balance and establishing a sustainable labor culture.
The pilot program will be implemented temporarily from this year through 2027, with results to be analyzed using 44 detailed indicators, including labor productivity and job satisfaction.
Based on the analysis, the province plans to facilitate social consensus on appropriate working hours and, if nationwide expansion is deemed necessary, will recommend institutional improvements to the central government.
The companies participating in the pilot program represent a wide range of conditions and characteristics, including social enterprises, IT companies, manufacturers, and media organizations.
Among them, Hugreen Co., Ltd., a manufacturing company located in Paju, implemented a biweekly 4-day workweek and employee rest system last year after employees' health deteriorated due to high work intensity. Doob Co., Ltd., an information services company based in Seongnam, has operated a 35-hour workweek since May 2021 and, after joining Gyeonggi Province's 4.5-day workweek program, further reduced working hours to a 30-hour workweek.
Meanwhile, following the signing ceremony, a town hall meeting titled "4.5-Day Workweek: Opening the Future of Work" will be held, presided over by Governor Kim. The town hall meeting is expected to be attended by representatives of employers and employees from the 68 participating companies in the province, Kim Sunyoung and Lee Yongho, vice chairs of the provincial assembly's Economic and Labor Committee, Kim Chunho, chair of the Gyeonggi Employers' Association, Choi Mira, executive vice chair of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions Gyeonggi Regional Headquarters, and approximately 170 others.
Gyeonggi Province will continue to recruit additional companies to participate in the 4.5-day workweek pilot program, across various industries and company sizes, until the allocated budget is exhausted. For information regarding participation, inquiries should be directed to the Gyeonggi Job Foundation.
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