Governor Kim Jin-tae addressed the plenary session of the 325th Extraordinary Session of the Gangwon State Council on the 14th, delivering a New Year's speech. He expressed, "The recently discussed 4-day workweek will be a significant opportunity for the state," and asserted his determination to "thoroughly study and prepare policy alternatives from now on, ensuring that the state can garner the attention and interest of the entire nation when introducing the 4-day workweek in the future."
Governor Kim mentioned that major companies such as Samsung Electronics, POSCO, SK, and others have already been piloting a 4-day workweek. He pointed out the global trend of countries formalizing the 4-day workweek. While expressing initial skepticism during the early 2000s when the transition to a 5-day workweek was being discussed, he now views the 4-day workweek as a natural progression, acknowledging that it might take time to implement but foreseeing it as an eventual societal norm.
Continuing, Governor Kim emphasized, "The 4-day workweek will soon lead to an expansion of leisure time," expressing anticipation that it would contribute to an influx of residents, a boom in secondary housing, and overall stimulate the local real estate market. He added, "To break free from the severe issue of population decline, I urge the state council to show a great deal of interest in formulating policies related to the 4-day workweek at the legislative level."