Demanding Overtime Without Pay Draws Crackdown From Labor Ministry

The Ministry of Employment and Labor is launching inspections into long working hours at businesses in areas such as Seongsu-dong, Seoul, where young workers are concentrated.

The Ministry of Employment and Labor announced today (Nov. 3) that it will conduct planned inspections on long working hours for the second half of 2026, targeting 100 workplaces nationwide starting today.

This inspection focuses on long working hours and unpaid wages at businesses employing large numbers of young workers, such as the information and communications industry, professional, scientific, and technical services, accommodation and food services, and wholesale and retail trade.

According to the 2026 International Yearbook of Statistics, South Korea's annual actual working hours per wage worker decreased from 2,058 hours in 2015 to 1,846 hours last year, but unreasonable labor practices such as unpaid overtime still persist in some workplaces.

Through these inspections, the ministry plans to intensively oversee whether workplaces are violating the Labor Standards Act, including issues related to long working hours and unpaid overtime.

It plans to closely examine whether businesses, particularly those with a high proportion of youth employment, comply with working hour limits and appropriately pay overtime, night, and holiday work allowances.

In particular, as the issue of long working hours and unpaid overtime among young workers in the Seongsu-dong area was pointed out during this year's parliamentary audit, the ministry plans to prioritize businesses located in Seongdong-gu.

In addition, joint labor and industrial safety inspections will be conducted on workplaces that repeatedly utilize special extended working hours.

Special extended working hours is a system that allows employees to work beyond the 52-hour workweek with the consent of workers and approval from the Minister of Employment and Labor when special circumstances arise for an employer.

The ministry plans to intensively examine whether the approved hours for special extended work are being complied with and whether appropriate worker health protection measures are being implemented.

For any violations of labor standards and occupational safety and health laws identified through the inspections, strict measures will be taken in accordance with relevant regulations, including corrective orders, fines, and judicial action.

Minister of Employment and Labor Kim Young-hoon emphasized, "It is important to create a labor environment where workers can be fairly compensated for their labor, rest sufficiently, and work healthily," adding, "We will improve unreasonable labor practices such as long working hours and unpaid overtime for young workers."

(Photo: Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.