The article discusses the implementation and enforcement of South Korea's 52-hour workweek regulation, designed to protect workers' health and ensure a healthy work-life balance. It references a 2024 Constitutional Court ruling that insists the law aims to shorten actual working hours while limiting overtime to genuinely safeguard laborers' health and safety. Despite these intentions, the article notes that criminal penalties for violations are rarely enforced, with employers often escaping serious repercussions simply by agreeing to rectify violations within three months.

Recent inspections announced by the Ministry of Employment and Labor reported that over half of the 45 assessed workplaces were found in violation of the 52-hour workweek rule. However, the ministry's response was limited to issuing correction orders, allowing companies to avoid harsher penalties just by committing to compliance in the near future. This raises critical questions about the efficacy of the regulations and whether existing measures genuinely protect workers, especially as prolonged overwork has already severely compromised many employees’ health.

The article also highlights a specific case where a company consistently violated the workweek limitation, with reports indicating that about half of the workforce had been averaging 64.5 work hours weekly over eight and a half months. This alarming statistic suggests that a significant number of employees are at risk of developing work-related illnesses, particularly cardiovascular conditions. The failure to implement sanctions or enforce more severe consequences for such violations calls into question the government's commitment to labor rights and the well-being of its workforce.