The Samsung Galaxy S25 will feature the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite globally, moving away from the Exynos 2500. This shift suggests that Samsung’s upcoming flagship chip is once again falling behind Qualcomm. According to sources from the Korean newspaper The Chosun Daily, Samsung identifies workers’ rights in South Korea as a major issue affecting this performance.
Working Hours and Limitations
In South Korea, employees are only allowed to work a total of 52 hours a week, which includes 12 hours of overtime. Consequently, workers often have to leave before finishing essential tasks. Reports indicate that key members of the Exynos team have increasingly engaged in unpaid overtime over recent years, with these additional hours not being documented.
Management’s Response
Samsung’s management is reportedly in discussions with lawmakers about the "effectiveness of the 52-hour workweek" and is exploring the possibility of securing an exemption. However, employees have told The Chosun Daily that extending working hours would not necessarily result in greater innovation or technological advancements.
Comparison with Competitors
Similar worker protection laws are also present in countries where Samsung’s main rivals operate. For instance, TSMC in Taiwan has a limit of 40 hours plus up to 36 hours of overtime per month, averaging around 48 hours weekly. In contrast, the United States has no such restrictions, allowing Qualcomm and Apple to expect longer hours from their employees. Nevertheless, the chip development teams at these companies are considerably larger, as reported by The Chosun Daily.
