On September 26, 2025, the Korea Finance Industry Union (KFIU), which is affiliated with UNI Global Union, organized a general strike in Seoul. Around 22,000 bank union members participated to demand a reduced 4.5-day workweek in the finance sector. This was the first major strike rally by KFIU since 2022, when negotiations with the Korea Federation of Banks (KFB) failed over issues including wage increases to match inflation, stopping branch closures, and reducing working hours.
During the protest, KFIU President Kim Hyoung-Sun began a hunger strike outside the KFB headquarters. He criticized the bank federation for not considering current demands and led the union in passing a resolution that made the 4.5-day workweek its main goal. Other key demands included real wage growth, extending retirement age, and increasing new hiring.
South Korean workers are among those with the longest working hours within OECD countries. On average, they work 1,859 hours per year—151 hours more than the OECD average of 1,708 hours per year. The government has shown some support for reducing working hours as it faces issues such as low birthrate, an aging population, and workplace accidents.
Rajendra Acharya, UNI Asia & Pacific Regional Secretary, stated: “We express full solidarity with the KFIU and its members. More than two decades ago, the finance sector was among the first to adopt a five-day workweek in 2002. Your struggle paved the way for Korea when the 40-hour workweek policy was finally implemented across the whole country in 2011. Today, you are making history again. We urge the Korean banking community to join hands with the KFIU and government through sincere social dialogue to deliver solutions, such as the finance union’s 4.5-day workweek proposal, that benefit the whole of Korean society.“
