[Time on the AI Battlefield: Trapped by the 52-Hour Rule]
⑤ Countries Where Immersive Development Is Possible Without Time Limits
US Implements the White-Collar Exemption System
UK Allows Over 48 Hours of Work Through the Opt-Out System
Japan's Highly Professional System: "Active Government Support"
#. "I'm looking for people who want to work more than 100 hours a week with me, beat all the American companies, and develop a world-leading product. The annual salary is 200 million won in cash, plus stock options."
A job posting seeking a C-level developer to work in New York City sent shockwaves through the South Korean AI startup scene. The post, written last year by Hong Hyun, CEO of Project Pluto, and uploaded to the social networking service LinkedIn, described a scenario unimaginable in Korea, where the 52-hour workweek must be observed. Just one year after posting the job, Project Pluto has grown into a startup that provides AI agents to Wall Street. Major clients include the large US hedge fund Millennium and analysts at Morgan Stanley.
Working 100 hours a week is possible if you subtract meal and sleep time (an average of about 9.7 hours per day) from the 168 hours in a week (7 days x 24 hours). Hong believes that if employees immerse themselves together, it is possible to achieve results through short-term research and development. He strongly criticized, "I think Korea's labor standards law, including the 52-hour workweek regulation, is a backward system that accelerates self-destruction in the era of global competition."
Major countries, rather than applying uniform working hours, have established systems that allow exemptions from work-hour limits or permit additional work without extra pay for certain qualified positions in order to advance their AI industries.
In the United States, the "white-collar exemption" system exempts high-income workers from work-hour restrictions. This applies to those earning more than about $107,000 per year (approximately 150 million won). Under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), this includes developers and those in IT, finance, and R&D, where measuring work hours is difficult or performance-based compensation is necessary. The key feature is that companies can deploy personnel whenever needed, maximizing production efficiency.
In Europe, the United Kingdom, a leader in the AI field, operates a system that allows employees to voluntarily choose overtime. The UK has introduced the "opt-out" system, which allows employees to work more than 48 hours per week. Unlike the US, where the exemption is limited to high-income workers, the UK's system has fewer restrictions on eligibility. Any employee aged 18 or older can choose to opt out, regardless of income, and there is no time limit. However, it must be voluntary and requires written consent from the employee; verbal agreements are not valid. Night work is limited to a maximum of 8 hours, and health checks are mandatory to protect workers' health. If an employer penalizes or dismisses an employee for refusing to opt out, legal action will follow.
Japan guarantees overtime through the "highly professional system." This applies to high-income earners with an annual salary of at least 10.75 million yen (about 100 million won). According to the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, as of the end of March this year, 1,390 people at 36 companies were using the highly professional system. It requires a labor-management committee decision, individual written consent from the employee, and health management measures. The system is used in various occupations and job categories. In the AI sector, research and development falls under the highly professional system, allowing overtime work. Other eligible areas include financial product development, fund managers, traders, dealers, securities analysts, and consultants.
Lee Jae-myung, the presidential candidate of the Democratic Party of Korea, participated in the 'K-Innovation' brown bag meeting at an officetel in Pangyo, Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province on the 12th, holding a discussion with IT developers and working professionals in their 20s and 30s from Pangyo. 2025.5.12 Photo by Kim Hyunmin
Kwon Hyukwook, Professor of Economics at Nihon University, explained, "This system was introduced as part of 'work style reform' to evaluate performance rather than working hours. The highly professional system can also be used for AI development." He added, "Recently, the Japanese government has included AI as a key area for intensive development and is actively supporting it. Companies and universities are also making efforts in line with this policy."
However, it is known that salaries in the Japanese AI industry are not particularly high, so the system's use is somewhat limited. Lee Changmin, Professor at the Department of Convergence Japanese Studies at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies and Director of the Korea-Japan Policy Research Center, said, "The system theoretically allows AI researchers and advanced technology personnel to use it, as new technology and new product R&D are included as eligible duties. However, the complex administrative procedures, such as establishing a labor-management committee and recording health management hours, are a barrier for AI companies and startups to take advantage of the system."
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