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Summary: As China’s 996 culture spreads, South Korea’s tech sector grapples with 52-hour limit Crunch

1. South Korea's standard workweek is 40 hours with up to 12 hours of overtime, reaching a maximum of 52 hours per week for most businesses. A special extended work program allows employees to work up to 64 hours per week in some cases.

2. The 52-hour weekly limit is considered challenging in the deep tech sectors like semiconductors and AI, as it could potentially impact the pace of business milestones and innovation. Some tech companies feel that the strict rules on working hours may hinder creativity and deep focus during critical growth phases.

3. South Korea's government plans to scale back special exemptions for extended work hours and tighten labor regulations in the future, despite some arguments suggesting that the current guidelines are sufficient. The global landscape of workweek regulations varies significantly, with many countries having stricter or more flexible rules compared to South Korea.
Summary
In South Korea, the standard workweek is 40 hours with up to 12 hours of overtime, reaching a maximum of 52 hours per week for most businesses. However, this limit is deemed challenging in deep tech sectors like semiconductors and AI, potentially impacting business milestones and innovation. Some
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ID: 443ce6ac-8752-4b90-96cc-e05d7487accb

Category ID: listed_summary

URL: https://techcrunch.com/2025/10/22/as-chinas-996-culture-spreads-south-koreas-tech-sector-grapples-with-52-hour-limit/#summary

Date: Oct. 23, 2025

Notes: 2025-10-23

Created: 2025/10/23 16:42

Updated: 2025/12/07 23:38

Last Read: 2025/10/24 08:37