Samsung Electronics: "The 52-hour workweek exemption should be expanded to relevant workplaces, not limited to Mega Special Zones"

[Financial News] Samsung Electronics called for the proposed white-collar exemption—an exception to working-hour regulations for high-income workers—to be expanded to relevant workplaces within Mega Special Zone areas, rather than being limited to the zones themselves.
According to a written response Samsung Electronics provided to Park Hae-cheol, a lawmaker from the Democratic Party of Korea, on the 14th, the company said, "We believe that effectively utilizing the white-collar exemption system would help address rapid changes in industrial workplaces and strengthen research and development (R&D) competitiveness."
Samsung Electronics also explained why special exemptions from labor regulations, including the white-collar exemption, are necessary: "We believe that the government's regulatory exemptions will help enhance technological competitiveness in the semiconductor industry, where speed and timing are crucial."
Regarding concerns that such special exemptions from labor regulations could lead to excessive exploitation of workers, Samsung Electronics responded, "We will ensure a fair compensation system for researchers and employees so that the system, including the white-collar exemption, is not mistaken for merely a means of increasing work intensity." The company added, "We are taking a cautious approach aimed at improving work efficiency while fully protecting workers' rights to health and safety through adequate rest and working-hour management."
Meanwhile, in response to Park's questions about introducing a white-collar exemption, SK hynix said, "We plan to adapt to future changes in the legal environment concerning labor standards." At the same time, it acknowledged the current situation, saying, "As the difficulty of developing semiconductor products has increased recently, there have been periods during some development processes when workloads have risen."
However, both companies took a somewhat lukewarm stance on the government's proposal to extend the maximum period for employing fixed-term workers to four years. Samsung Electronics said, "Fixed-term workers account for an extremely small number of our employees, and we have no position on this matter." SK hynix stated, "Fixed-term workers account for less than 0.5% of our total workforce, while the proportion among R&D personnel is less than 0.1%," adding, "It is difficult to make a judgment on expanding the employment period for fixed-term workers at this time."
Park criticized the proposal, saying, "There is little demand from individual companies for the Mega Special Zone's labor-regulation exemptions." He emphasized, "To ensure the success of the Mega Special Zone, lawmakers should not become mired in a wasteful debate over deregulating labor rules. Instead, the Mega Special Zone Act should focus on expanding the strategic infrastructure that individual companies actually need and training skilled technical workers, while guaranteeing workers' health and employment."
[email protected] Kim Hyeong-gu Reporter