Minister of Government Administration and Home Affairs Lee Keun-shik said Monday.....the government plans to introduce a five-day workweek system for public servants before the end of April. In a briefing given at Cheong Wa Dae Monday morning, Minister Lee told President Kim Dae-jung that an inter-ministry discussion
is under way over reducing the workweek for public servants from the current 44 to 40 hours. Lee hoped the plan will revive negotiations for introducing the five-day workweek system in the private sector that has beenstalled for the last few months. However, police officers, firefighters, and employees at correctional institutions will be excluded from the system for the time being. To minimize citizens' inconvenience, city halls, ward offices and post offices will place watch keepers at civil affairs and petition sections until late Saturday evening. Lee presented other plans including legalizing public servants' unions and introducing a "selective welfare subsidy system" under which government employees can customize their own welfare plans.