Feb 28, 2018

South Korea to cut max work hours from 68 to 52

Photo: Chung Sung-Jun / Getty

The South Korean National Assembly Environment and Labor Committee approved a bill on Tuesday that cuts the maximum statutory working hours from 68 hours to 52 with support from both the governing and opposing parties, according to the Korea Times. The bill is expected to pass the South Korea's National Assembly as early as Wednesday,

  • Why it matters: Slashing working hours was a central campaign promise for President Moon Jae-in. But with hours cut, businesses may have to spend upwards of $11 billion each year to keep up with production, according to the Korea Economic Research Institute.
  • Go Deeper: How a cut in work hours in Germany reflects a generational shift.

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Illustration: Annelise Capossela/Axios

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Protests in Belarus turn deadly following sham election

An arrest today in Minsk. Photo: Natalia Fedosenko/TASS via Getty

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Why it matters: Sunday’s rigged presidential elections have yielded political uncertainty unlike any seen in Aleksander Lukashenko’s 26-year tenure. After claiming an implausible 80% of the vote, Lukashenko is using every tool in the authoritarian arsenal to maintain his grip on power.

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Data: The Center for Systems Science and Engineering at Johns Hopkins; Map: Axios Visuals

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