"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 NoteSouth Korea has entered the global battleground to become one of the top three artificial intelligence (AI) powerhouses. The government has rolled out strong policies and presented its vision, but on the ground, developers are voicing growing frustration that AI research is being hindered by the 52-hour workweek regulation. The AI industry points out that national strategies alone are not enough to lead the market. There is a consensus that, to foster innovation, the industry ecosystem must change to allow for flexibility, rather than enforcing uniform regulations. This article examines how the 52-hour workweek regulation currently in effect is clashing with the development of the AI industry and explores ways to minimize its side effects.

"If changing perceptions about the 52-hour workweek were possible, 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 Bill' (an amendment to the Labor Standards Act), determined three weeks ago in China-after witnessing the level of AI and robotics technology-that it is urgent to lift the 52-hour regulation for the AI industry.

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

In an interview with The Asia Business Daily on the 30th, Assemblyman Ko said, "Seeing China's AI technology, I could imagine how they have been working," and added, "In China, developers even set up camp beds and work day and night to create DeepSeek, but in Korea, we set fixed work hours. The very mindset is flawed," he pointed out.

The following is a Q&A with Assemblyman Ko.

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

▲Previously, I sponsored a bill to exempt the national strategic industries (semiconductors, secondary batteries, displays, and bio) from the 52-hour workweek. However, since the AI industry is not included in the national strategic industries, even if the bill passes, it is difficult to apply the exception to AI. In the AI industry, the continuity and consistency of work are crucial. If coding and experimentation must stop due to restrictions on leaving work, a decline in work quality is inevitable.

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

▲Everyone said the first year of the 52-hour workweek was fine. But now, there are concerns that the industry could collapse at this rate. On the ground, people receive messages from HR warning them that working overtime could be a problem and to refrain from it, even when they are in the middle of important work. Some executives say that when they work late into the night, all the lights in the building are off. NVIDIA developers have even asked whether Korean companies still only work 52 hours a week. NVIDIA employees are so immersed in their work that they check work-related emails even at 2 a.m.

- Labor groups are voicing strong concerns about health rights.

▲I understand that the quality and effectiveness of work come from adequate rest. However, we need to break away from the fixed idea that easing the 52-hour rule will automatically mean working more and harming health. Work efficiency must also be considered. If results are expected and health is not compromised, the state should guarantee a certain degree of 'freedom to work' so that, in some special circumstances or specific weeks, people can work intensively without time limits.

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

▲I am not suggesting working long hours day and night, 365 days a year. The idea is to work when it is needed and rest when it is not. The bill is not meant to apply to all industries, but only to certain key national industries such as AI and semiconductors. It also targets high-income R&D positions based on certain criteria, and only with the consent of the individual. Above all, I intend to include provisions in subordinate legislation to guarantee sufficient annual or monthly rest and holidays. In Japan, under the 'Highly Professional' system, more than 104 days of holidays are granted annually.

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

- The government has introduced various AI support policies, but remains silent on the 52-hour regulation.

▲The Lee Jaemyung administration claims to protect 'workers' health rights' as the reason for the 52-hour workweek, but I believe the fundamental reason for opposing flexibility is the organized resistance of the two major labor unions and their political influence. There is political calculation involved. AI model training requires continuity, focus, and speed-if the rigid 52-hour rule is applied, R&D stops and competitor nations move ahead.

- At this rate, it seems difficult for Korea to become one of the top three AI powerhouses.

▲In my personal assessment, the United States would score 95 points and China about 92. Korea, along with the United Kingdom, Singapore, and Japan, would be in the 60 to 70 range. But it is not too late yet. DeepSeek is said to have distilled OpenAI (distillation refers to training an AI model on the output of another to make it more efficient), and I believe we can catch up if we move quickly. However, if we continue to set work hours on a weekly basis as we do now, it will be difficult to guarantee success.

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

▲I have not received any feedback. Even regarding the Special Act on Semiconductors, which included provisions to ease the 52-hour rule, many ruling party lawmakers expressed agreement at the time, but after President Lee Jaemyung mentioned introducing a 4.5-day workweek, those voices disappeared. If the government continues to be overly concerned with 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 so that the government can make the right decision. I will do my best.