The government is reviewing plans to significantly ease labor regulations for a new semiconductor production cluster to be built in the southwestern city of Gwangju, including relaxing the 52-hour workweek rule, informed officials said Friday. The labor ministry briefed some lawmakers from the ruling Democratic Party on Monday on the proposed direction of a special labor law for the Gwangju cluster, according to ministry and parliamentary officials. The ministry's report included a plan to remove the 52-hour workweek limit for managers and researchers in the top 3 percent of income earners, exempt them from overtime, night and holiday work allowances, and instead provide them with fixed allowances, they noted. The nation's 52-hour workweek law, introduced in 2018 to prevent overwork, mandates that overtime be limited to 12 hours a week, capping the total workweek at 52 hours. In addition, the government is considering extending the basis period for the selective working hour system from the current one month to six months. The selective working hour system is designed to allow employees t