Innovation is the new currency of power as the world races to stay ahead of deep technology revolutions, from AI and semiconductors to quantum computing. For many companies, that pressure has led to heavier workloads and a more intense work culture. But they face a real dilemma. With competitors around the world striving for victory, you can’t easily relax.
As I read about the intense 996 work culture of 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., 6 days a week, 72 hours a week from China to Silicon Valley, I wondered how countries are approaching working hours and workplace culture in the tech industry. I was particularly interested in how the situation was here in South Korea, where I am currently based.
In South Korea, the standard working week is 40 hours, with up to 12 hours of overtime, and you are usually paid more than 1.5 times the normal wage. Employers who violate these rules risk fines, executive prison terms, and civil liability.
The 52-hour work week, which was introduced in 2018 for large companies with 300 or more employees and public institutions, will be gradually expanded to all companies and will come into full effect on January 1, 2025.
Earlier this year, South Korea introduced a special extended work program that allows workers to work up to 64 hours beyond the 52-hour weekly limit with their consent and government approval. For deep tech sectors such as semiconductors, the approval period was temporarily extended from three months to six months, but only a small number of companies actually took advantage of the system, according to local media reports. Looking ahead, the South Korean government plans to scale back these special exemptions and tighten working-hour regulations, although some members of Congress argue that the current guidelines are sufficient, according to the report.
TechCrunch spoke to several South Korea-based technology investors and founders about how the 52-hour work week limit will affect their businesses and R&D projects as they try to compete with global companies.
Yongkwan Lee, CEO of South Korea-based venture capital firm Bluepoint Partners, told TechCrunch that “a 52-hour work week is certainly a difficult factor when making investment decisions in the deep technology space.” “This is especially true when investing in globally competitive sectors such as semiconductors, artificial intelligence and quantum computing. Labor issues are particularly complex in these sectors, where founders and teams often face intense workloads and long working hours during critical growth stages.”
tech crunch event
san francisco
|
October 27-29, 2025
At Bluepoint, early-stage investments are often made before the underlying technology is fully developed or the product is ready for market. In this context, Mr. Lee pointed out that strict limits on working hours could potentially impact the pace at which key business milestones are achieved.
According to local news reports, 70.4% of employees at start-up companies in South Korea said they would be willing to work an additional 52 hours a week if offered adequate compensation.
Bohyun Kim, chief technology officer of LeMong, a South Korean startup backed by LG U+ that provides agent AI solutions to more than 13,000 small and medium-sized businesses in the food and beverage sector, said the country’s 52-hour work week often feels more like a restriction than a protection.
“Engineers work to find practical solutions to complex problems,” Kim says. “Our job is not to complete predefined tasks in a set amount of time; it is to use creativity and deep concentration to solve challenges and create new value. When an idea occurs or a technological breakthrough occurs, the concept of time disappears. If a system is forced to stop at that moment, it disrupts flow and can actually reduce efficiency.”
Kim added that short-term focus is important when a project deadline approaches or when refining a key algorithm, but strict legal restrictions can get in the way depending on the type of engineering role you’re in. “Even for the same engineer, the role of production in manufacturing is different from the role of R&D,” Kim explained. “In manufacturing, productivity is directly related to working hours, so schedules must take into account occupational safety. Overtime should also be fairly compensated.”
When asked about workplace flexibility, Huiyong Lee, co-founder of LeMong, which develops comment management software, said he thinks calculating a monthly average is more realistic than strictly adhering to the country’s 52-hour weekly limit. He pointed out that deep tech companies often have different work intensities depending on the R&D stage and project schedule.
“Companies like ours often require intensive development work for about two weeks before a product launch, but then the workload eases once the product is stable,” says Lee. “Our monthly flexibility system allows us to work approximately 60 hours per week before launch and 40 hours per week after launch, maintaining an average of 52 hours while ensuring operational efficiency,” Lee continued. “We also believe that differentiated standards are worth considering for deep tech and R&D-focused companies. At the same time, for startups with fewer than 10 to 20 employees, establishing more flexible standards to accommodate their unique operational needs is essential.”
Kim also pointed out that there is a clear link between performance and working hours. High-performing team members tend to work long hours, he said. But rather than seeking compensation for extra time, these top performers are focused on achieving results and quickly advancing within the company.
“When engineers are recognized for their efforts through performance bonuses, stock options, and recognition of their technical contributions, they are more motivated to work harder,” says Kim. “In high-tech, R&D, IT industries and globally competitive companies where technical expertise is key, decisions regarding flexible working hours should be based on market logic.”
Another Seoul-based venture capitalist who invests in startups downplayed the impact of the 52-hour work week limit on investment decisions.
“At this point, there doesn’t seem to be any major concern. It’s always difficult to predict how labor regulations and monitoring practices will evolve, but many of today’s business ventures don’t closely track the hours their employees work. My understanding is that companies are not required at this time to provide formal evidence proving that their employees remain within the 52-hour week limit.”
If an employee files a complaint, “the lack of detailed work records could create compliance issues. That said, such cases appear to be relatively rare as most R&D and deep tech companies typically employ highly self-motivated professionals who are responsible and manage their own schedules,” the VC said.
The bigger challenge is likely to be in more labor-intensive industries such as logistics, shipping, and manufacturing, where the majority of workers earn close to the minimum wage. “In these sectors, 52-hour workweek regulations could significantly increase labor costs through overtime pay and paid vacation mandates. This could make it more difficult for companies operating on tight profit margins to maintain productivity and achieve economies of scale,” the investor said.
How other countries work
To understand where South Korea’s 52-hour limit fits into the global landscape and why South Korean deep tech companies are feeling trapped between competing pressures, it’s worth looking at how other major tech hubs regulate working hours.
In Germany, the United Kingdom, and France, the standard working week is usually 33 to 48 hours. In Australia and Canada, the standard working week is 38 and 40 hours, respectively, with mandatory overtime pay, which balances worker rights and workplace flexibility.
In the United States, the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) establishes a standard work week of 40 hours. Non-exempt employees are entitled to 1.5 hours of overtime with no limit on total hours. (In California, regulations require double pay only for certain overtime hours.)
Even in China, the standard work schedule is 40 hours a week, or 8 hours a day. Overtime is paid at a higher rate of approximately 150% of your regular wage on weekdays, 200% on weekends, and 300% on holidays. In Japan, the standard work week is 40 hours, and overtime is usually limited to 45 hours per month, or 370 hours per year. Employers who exceed these limits may be subject to fines and administrative penalties, as in other countries.
The working week in Singapore is slightly longer at 44 hours, with up to 72 hours of overtime per month. Evenly distributed, that’s about 62 hours per week. Overtime pay is the same as 1.5x on weekdays, 2x on holidays, and 3x on holidays.
South Korea’s 52-hour limit falls in the middle of this range, being stricter than the United States or Singapore, but more flexible than many European countries. In any case, for deep tech founders competing globally, the question is not just numbers, but whether strict weekly limits can accommodate the intensive and uneven workflows that characterize early-stage R&D.
