Ministry of SMEs and Startups

The Minister of SMEs and Startups, Lee Young, met with entrepreneurs from the gaming and software industries at the creative economy innovation center in Gyeonggi-do on May 26, 2022.

Minister Lee convened the meeting to attentively listen to the ideas and opinions of the SMEs and integrate them into support policies, as the small and medium-sized enterprises are facing with a labor shortage issue due to the 52-hour workweek policy and the wage increase.

The Minister met with the gaming and software businesses because they require more flexible working hours than other industries, making it more difficult to adjust to the new conditions.

She said that she is aware of the challenges posed by the working hour limit, which does not take into account the unique characteristics of each industry and business.

"The government needs to establish measures to flexibly utilize and adjust working hour limits for each industry without hurting the business operation as well as employees' rights to health," said the Minister.

The ministry is planning to review what was discussed during the conversation with relevant organizations, such as the Ministry of Employment and Labor, in order to address the workforce shortage problem while cultivating more talents in the digital sector, including software and IT.