Korea introduced a law to limit the work week to 52 hours. Many foreign media outlets commended the measure.
Conservative Korean media, such as the Joongang Daily (affiliated with Samsung), try to make the 52 hour work week look bad, stating that it is creating hardships for hourly workers due to decreased income. If they have to work 68 hours a week in order to feed themselves, which was the maximum allowed under the old law, then something is definitely wrong. They need to be paid a better hourly wage.
They also state that companies will have a hard time hiring more workers in order to make up for the shorter work hours. Korea's unemployment rate is at an all time high and labor laws are so unfair that international labor organizations periodically recommend that the laws be changed. They don't even need to classify a "regular worker" as an employee. Under the law, they can be contracted workers with reduced legal rights and who can be fired after one year when the contract ends.
Joongang Daily: Korea Inc. scrambles to adjust to 52-hour week
