"Is Korea Still Like That?" NVIDIA Employee's Question Draws a Sigh from Samsung Employee [Interview]

The Clock Is Ticking for AI in Korea: Trapped by the 52-Hour Workweek
Part 7: Why the AI Research 52-Hour Exception Bill Was Proposed
Interview with Goh Dongjin, Former Samsung Electronics President and People Power Party Lawmaker

Editor's Note
South Korea has entered the global battlefield to become one of the world’s top three AI powerhouses. The government has unveiled ambitious policies and presented its vision, but there is growing discontent at the ground level, with many developers claiming that the 52-hour workweek is disrupting their AI research. The AI industry points out that a national strategy alone is not enough to lead the market. There is a consensus that creating innovation requires a shift in the industrial ecosystem towards flexibility, rather than uniform regulations. This article examines how the current 52-hour workweek is clashing with the development of the AI industry and explores ways to minimize its negative side effects.

There is a consensus that creating innovation requires a change in the industrial ecosystem with flexibility rather than uniform regulations. Photo of the Seoul cityscape.

"If only public opinion on the 52-hour workweek would change, I would even be willing to shave my head in protest."

Last week, Kodongjin, a member of the People Power Party who sponsored the "AI Research and Developer 52-Hour Workweek Exception Act" (an amendment to the Labor Standards Act), said he realized the urgent need to lift the 52-hour regulation for the AI industry after witnessing AI and robotics technology in China three weeks ago.

Kodongjin, a member of the People Power Party, is giving an interview to The Asia Business Daily at the National Assembly Members' Office Building in Yeouido, Seoul on the 30th. Photo by Dongju Yoon

In an interview with The Asia Business Daily on the 30th, Assemblyman Goh said, "After seeing China’s AI technology, I could imagine how they have been working all this time," adding, "In China, developers even set up camp beds and work day and night to produce products like DeepSeek, but in Korea, we have fixed working hours. The very idea is fundamentally flawed," he pointed out.

The following is a Q&A with Assemblyman Goh.

- What was the reason for sponsoring a bill to allow exceptions to the 52-hour workweek specifically for AI R&D positions?

▲Previously, I sponsored a bill to exempt national strategic industries (semiconductors, secondary batteries, displays, and biotech) from the 52-hour workweek. However, the AI industry was not included in the scope of national strategic industries, so even if the bill passed, it would be difficult to apply the exception to AI. In the AI industry, the continuity and consistency of work are especially important. If developers have to stop coding or halt experiments because of restrictions on working hours, the quality of their work will inevitably decline.

- What is the atmosphere like in the AI industry on the ground?

▲For the first year after the 52-hour workweek was implemented, most people said it was fine. But now, there are growing concerns that the industry could collapse if things continue this way. Developers often receive messages from HR asking them to refrain from working overtime, even when they are in the middle of important work. Some executives have mentioned that when working late at night, all the lights in the building are already off. NVIDIA developers have even asked if Korean companies still only work 52 hours a week. At NVIDIA, people are so immersed in their work that they check work emails even at 2 a.m.

- Labor unions have expressed strong concerns about workers’ health.

▲I understand that the quality and effectiveness of work comes from adequate rest. However, we need to break away from the stereotype that relaxing the 52-hour workweek automatically means working more and harming one's health. Efficiency should also be taken into account. If performance is expected and there is no threat to health, the government should guarantee a certain degree of "freedom to work" that allows people in special circumstances or during certain weeks to work without time restrictions, provided it does not harm their health.

- Do you believe it is possible to work long hours without harming health?

▲I am not advocating for working long hours day and night, 365 days a year. The idea is to work when it’s time to work and rest when it’s time to rest. The bill is not intended to apply to all industries, but only to certain core national industries such as AI and semiconductors. It also targets high-income R&D positions that meet certain criteria and is based on the individual’s consent. Most importantly, I intend to include provisions in subordinate legislation to guarantee sufficient annual or monthly rest and holidays. Japan, for example, operates a "highly professional" system that guarantees at least 104 days off per year.

Goh Dongjin, a member of the People Power Party, is being interviewed by The Asia Business Daily. Photo by Yoon Dongju

- The government has announced various AI promotion policies, but remains silent on the 52-hour workweek regulation.

▲The Lee Jaemyung administration publicly cites "protecting workers’ health" as the reason for the 52-hour workweek, but I believe the real reason for opposing flexibility is the organized resistance of the two major labor unions and their political influence. There is a political calculation involved. For AI model training, continuity, focus, and speed are essential. The moment you apply the rigid 52-hour rule, R&D grinds to a halt and competitor nations surge ahead.

- At this rate, it seems unlikely that Korea can become one of the top three AI powerhouses.

▲If I were to personally score each country’s AI capabilities, I would give the United States 95 points and China 92 points. Korea, along with the UK, Singapore, and Japan, would be in the 60-70 point range. But it is not too late. DeepSeek is said to have distilled OpenAI (distillation: a method of training a more efficient AI model by learning from the outputs of another AI model), and I believe we can do it too if we move quickly. However, unless we change the current system of setting weekly working hours, I cannot guarantee success.

- Did you receive any feedback from the government or the ruling party regarding the bill you introduced on the 26th?

▲I have not received any feedback. Even for the Semiconductor Special Act, which included provisions to relax the 52-hour workweek, many ruling party lawmakers said they agreed at the time, but after President Lee Jaemyung mentioned introducing a 4.5-day workweek, those voices disappeared. If the government remains preoccupied with appeasing the two major labor unions, there is no chance the bill will pass. That is why I believe there is a political responsibility to persuade and explain things so that the government can make the right decision. I will do my best.