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| Moon had pledged during his presidential campaign to make it mandatory for workers to use their 15 days of annual paid holidays. / Korea Times file |
By Lee Han-soo
Presidential chief policy adviser Jang Ha-sung "ordered" two presidential secretaries to leave a Cabinet meeting Tuesday and take a vacation.
Social policy adviser Kim Soo-hyun and science and technology adviser Moon Mi-ok were flabbergasted when Jang told them they had to leave the meeting.
"There are two people who have to leave the meeting immediately," said Jang, pointing to Kim and Moon. "The two are supposed to be on vacation but have attended the meeting."
Both advisers planned vacations this week, but attended the meeting to discuss the agenda regarding the government's plan to phase out nuclear energy.
President Moon Jae-in has constantly encouraged his top advisers and Cabinet members to take all the vacations given to them.
Presidential advisers and Cabinet members are known to have planned vacations for coming days before Moon leaves for his vacation as early as August.
Moon had pledged during his presidential campaign to make it mandatory for workers to use their 15 days of annual paid holidays.
"With enough vacation use, Korea could experience a 20 trillion won ($18 billion) ripple effect and boost its national competitiveness," then candidate Moon said on Facebook on May 4.
"I will also increase the number of annual holidays to 20 and improve the labor system to enable people to enjoy at least a two-week summer vacation."
South Korea has long had the second-highest average working hours among the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development's (OECD) 34 member states.
Company employees and self-employed Koreans worked 2,124 hours on average last year, second only to Mexico with 2,228 hours.
Every year, Koreans work 354 hours more than the OECD average of 1,770. This translates to 6.8 hours more each week.
