Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Hyon Oh-seok said the government would seek to reduce yearly work hours to around 1,900 hours.

Hyun revealed the plan during a meeting with OECD Secretary-General Angel Gurria over Korea’s new employment policy aimed at achieving a 70 percent employment rate in Paris on Thursday.

Commenting that Germany and the Netherlands achieved the 70 percent target in a short time through various employment categories, Hyun said the government will create various part-time jobs to boost employment.

Korean workers have the longest working hours among OECD countries. The Finance Ministry said Korean workers put in an average 44.6 hours at work each week.

(kys@heraldcorp.com)