Starting next year, workers will be able to split their annual paid leave into hourly increments instead of being limited to full days.
The government approved an amendment to the Labor Standards Act that includes this change at a Cabinet meeting held at the Blue House and chaired by President Lee Jae-myung.
Under the amendment, rules governing rest breaks for employees who work four-hour shifts will be revised. Current law requires employers to provide at least a 30-minute break for four-hour shifts; the amendment allows workers to leave immediately at the end of their shift without taking that break if they choose.
The amendment also explicitly bars employers from dismissing or imposing adverse treatment on employees for requesting or using annual paid leave. The revision reflects the agreement reached by the tripartite \”Implementation Task Force for Reducing Actual Working Hours,\” which includes labor, management, and government representatives.
The provision allowing split use of annual leave will take effect one year after the law is promulgated, while the flexible rest-break rules will take effect six months after promulgation.
The Cabinet also approved an amendment to the Defense Industry Technology Protection Act that raises penalties for anyone who knowingly leaks or infringes defense industry technology that will be used abroad. Under the previous law, criminal prosecution required proof that the technology was leaked with the specific purpose of foreign use; the amendment allows punishment if intentionality in the leak is established.
An amendment to the Special Act on Support for Science and Engineering was also approved, allowing authorities to designate engineering-focused universities as science-and-technology-specialized institutions and extend targeted support to them. In addition, the Cabinet approved revisions to the Enforcement Decree of the Act on Attachment of Electronic Devices and to the Enforcement Decree of the Performing Arts Act.
On the administration’s first anniversary, President Lee said, \”If we double the pace of government over the next four years and apply ourselves fully, we can achieve what would normally take eight years. We will use that to deliver larger improvements in people’s lives and for the Republic of Korea.\”
He urged that, starting in the second year of his term, the government should build on current policy gains to produce more tangible improvements in citizens’ lives, accelerate implementation, and broaden the scope of reforms. \”We should first focus on spreading the benefits of improved key indicators such as exports across small and medium-sized enterprises, small merchants, ordinary citizens, and vulnerable groups,\” he said.
He added, \”We must strengthen the material and institutional foundations to accelerate the AI revolution and the energy transition, and step up efforts to foster advanced industries beyond semiconductors — including robotics and defense — to fully open the door to becoming a globally leading economic power.\”
Most Commented