As China’s 996 culture spreads, South Korea’s tech sector grapples with 52-hour limit

As the world races to stay ahead in the deep tech revolution — from AI and semiconductors to quantum computing — innovation has become the new currency of power. For many companies, that pressure has translated into heavier workloads and more intense work cultures. Yet they face a real dilemma: they can’t simply ease up while competitors across the globe push harder to win.

When I came across news about the intense “996” work culture — working 9 am to 9 pm, six days a week, a 72-hour work week — spreading from China to Silicon Valley, it made me wonder how different countries approach work hours and workplace cultures in the tech industry. I was especially curious about how things compare here in South Korea, where I’m currently based.

In South Korea, the standard workweek is 40 hours, with up to 12 hours of overtime, usually paid at 1.5 times the regular rate or more. Employers who violate these rules risk fines, executive imprisonment, and civil liability.

The 52-hour workweek, introduced in 2018 for large companies with over 300 employees and public institutions, was gradually extended to all businesses and fully took effect on January 1, 2025.

Earlier this year, South Korea rolled out a special extended work program that lets employees work beyond the 52-hour weekly limit, with both worker consent and government approval, up to 64 hours. For deep tech sectors like semiconductors, approval periods were temporarily extended from three to six months, though local media reports suggest that only a few companies actually took advantage of it. Looking ahead, the South Korean government plans to scale back these special exemptions and tighten working-hour regulations, even as some lawmakers argue that the current guidelines are sufficient, per the report.

TechCrunch spoke with several tech investors and founders based in South Korea about how the 52-hour workweek limit affects their businesses and their R&D projects as they try to compete with global companies.

“The 52-hour workweek is indeed a challenging factor when making investment decisions in deep tech sectors,” Yongkwan Lee, CEO of South Korea-based venture capital firm Bluepoint Partners, told TechCrunch. “This is particularly relevant when investing in globally competitive sectors like semiconductors, artificial intelligence, and quantum computing. Labor challenges are particularly complex in these sectors, where founders and teams often face intense workloads and long hours during critical growth phases.”

At Bluepoint, early-stage investments are often made before the underlying technologies are fully developed or products are ready for market. In this context, Lee noted that strict limits on working hours could potentially impact the pace at which key business milestones are reached.

In South Korea, 70.4% of employees at startup companies responded that they would be willing to work an additional 52 hours per week if adequate compensation is provided, per local reports.

Bohyung Kim, CTO of LeMong, a South Korean startup backed by LG Uplus that delivers agentic AI solutions to more than 13,000 small and medium-sized enterprises in the food and beverage sector, said the country’s 52-hour workweek system often feels more like a restriction than a protection.

“Engineers work to find practical solutions to complex problems,” Kim said. “Our work isn’t about completing predefined tasks within fixed hours. It’s about using creativity and deep focus to solve challenges and create new value. When an idea strikes or a technical breakthrough happens, the concept of time disappears. If a system forces you to stop at that moment, it breaks the flow and can actually reduce efficiency.”

Kim added that while short-term, intense focus is crucial as project deadlines approach or when refining key algorithms, rigid legal limits can sometimes get in the way, including depending on the kind of engineering role someone holds. “Even among engineers, production roles in manufacturing differ from R&D positions,” Kim explained. “In manufacturing, productivity is directly linked to working hours, so schedules need to account for industrial safety. Overtime should also be fairly compensated.”

When asked about workplace flexibility, Huiyong Lee, co-founder of LeMong, which makes comment management software, said he thinks figuring out a monthly average would be more practical than adhering strictly to the country’s 52-hour weekly limit. He noted that work intensity often varies depending on the stage of R&D and project timelines in deep tech companies.

“For companies like ours, intensive development efforts are often required for approximately two weeks prior to a product launch, after which the workload eases once the product stabilizes,” Lee said. “A system with monthly flexibility would allow us to work around 60 hours per week before a launch and 40 hours per week afterward, maintaining an average of 52 hours while ensuring operational efficiency,” Lee continued. “I also believe it is worth considering differentiated standards for deep tech and R&D-focused companies. At the same time, for startups with fewer than 10–20 employees, it is essential to establish more flexible criteria to accommodate their unique operational needs.”

Kim also noted that there is a clear link between performance and hours worked. High-performing team members often tend to put in longer hours, he said. But rather than seeking rewards for the extra time, these top performers focus on achieving results and advancing quickly within the company.

“Engineers are far more motivated to dive in when their efforts are recognized, whether through performance bonuses, stock options, or acknowledgment of technical contributions,” Kim said. “In high-tech, R&D, and IT industries, as well as in globally competitive firms where technical expertise is key, decisions about flexible work hours should be driven by market logic.”

Another Seoul-based venture capitalist, who invests in startups, downplayed the impact of the 52-hour workweek limit on investment decisions.

“At the moment, there don’t appear to be any major concerns. While it’s always difficult to predict how labor regulations or monitoring practices might evolve, many venture companies today do not strictly track employees’ working hours. To my understanding, there’s currently no requirement for companies to submit formal evidence proving that employees stay within the 52-hour weekly limit.”

If an employee were to file a complaint, the VC noted, “the absence of detailed time records could raise compliance questions. That said, most R&D or deeptech firms typically employee highly self-motivated professionals who manage their own schedules responsibly, so such cases seem relatively uncommon.”

The greater challenge likely lies in more labor-intensive industries, such as logistics, delivery, or manufacturing, where a large portion of workers earn close to the minimum wage. “In those sectors, the 52-hour workweek regulation can significantly increase labor costs due to mandatory overtime pay and paid leave. As a result, maintaining productivity and achieving economies of scale can become more difficult for businesses operating under tight margins,” this investor said.

How other countries work

To understand where South Korea’s 52-hour limit fits in the global landscape — and why its deep tech companies feel squeezed between competing pressures — it’s worth examining how other major tech hubs regulate working hours.

According to reports, Europe-based VCs and startups are having a heated debate over China’s 996 work culture, according to reports.

In Germany, the UK, and France, standard workweeks typically range from 33 to 48 hours. In Australia and Canada, the standard workweek is 38 and 40 hours, respectively, with mandatory overtime pay, offering a balance between labor rights and workplace flexibility.

In the U.S., the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) sets a standard 40-hour workweek. Non-exempt employees earn time-and-a-half for any overtime, and there’s no limit on total hours. (In California, the rules only require double-time pay for certain overtime.)

In China, the standard work schedule is also 40 hours per week, or 8 hours a day. Overtime is paid at higher rates: roughly 150% of regular pay on weekdays, 200% on weekends, and 300% on public holidays. In Japan, the standard workweek is 40 hours, with limits of 45 hours of overtime per month and 370 hours per year under normal circumstances. Employers who exceed these limits can face fines and administrative penalties, as in other countries.

Singapore’s workweek is slightly longer at 44 hours, with a maximum of 72 overtime hours per month. If spread evenly, that’s roughly 62 hours per week. Overtime pay rates are similar: 1.5 times for weekdays, 2 times for rest days, and 3 times for public holidays.

South Korea’s 52-hour cap sits in the middle of this spectrum, stricter than the U.S. and Singapore but more flexible than much of Europe. Either way, for deep tech founders competing globally, the question isn’t just about the number — it’s about whether rigid weekly limits can accommodate the intense, uneven workflows that characterize early-stage R&D.