On Monday, Lee Jae Myung, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, stated, “The low birth rate leading to a national extinction crisis stems from an uncertain future and despair.”
During his speech at the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul, Lee emphasized that society, rather than parents, should now be responsible for birth and child-rearing, which are crucial for the community’s survival.
He further argued that the era of advanced technology, symbolized by AI, will fundamentally transform traditional labor and welfare systems concepts. Lee stressed that while AI and new technologies may increase productivity, reducing labor’s role and share is inevitable.
Lee contended that improving productivity through AI and advanced technology must reduce working hours. He added that prolonged forced labor is not appropriate in the era of high-tech science and technology, where creativity and autonomy are key.
He pointed out, “As of 2022, South Korea ranked 5th among OECD countries for long working hours, exceeding the OECD average (1,752 hours) by more than a month (149 hours).” Lee asserted, “The era of competing based on quantity is over. Extending working hours and exploiting labor makes surviving in fierce global competition difficult.”
Lee proposed, “To transition to a high-tech society focused on creativity and autonomy, we must reduce working hours and move towards a 4.5-day workweek, eventually becoming a 4-day workweek country.” He added, “The notion of securing international competitiveness through long hours and labor exploitation in the advanced technology sector is inherently contradictory.”
In conclusion, Lee cautioned, “Even if we must flexibly adjust working hours in specific sectors due to special needs, it should not become a means to extend total working hours or evade fair compensation for labor.”