Gwarosa: death from overwork in South Korea

Gwarosa (과로사) is Korean for "death from overwork". It usually means a sudden death from a stroke or heart attack after very long working hours. Korea has no separate gwarosa law. Instead, the Ministry of Employment and Labor sets rules for when such a death counts as an industrial accident.

Korea has made real progress on working hours. But many people still work very long weeks. If you lost someone, or you are worried about yourself, this page explains the rules and where to turn.

What does gwarosa mean?

The word comes from three Chinese characters, 過勞死, read the Korean way. Gwa (과) means "too much". Ro (로) means "work". Sa (사) means "death". Japan and China use the same word, written in their own forms and read as karōshi and guolaosi.

People in Korea use gwarosa most often for a sudden stroke or heart attack after months of long hours. In law, the question is simpler: was the illness caused by work? If yes, it is an industrial accident (산업재해, sanjae), and the family can claim.

How many people die from overwork in Korea?

Korea counts approved claims, not every case. In 2025, the government approved 850 cases of stroke or heart disease as caused by work. Of these, 408 were deaths.

Korea, 2025	Number	Source
Approved work-related stroke and heart disease cases	850	MOEL, 31 Mar 2026
Of these, deaths	408	MOEL, 31 Mar 2026
Share of all deaths from work-related disease	29.7% of 1,376	MOEL, 31 Mar 2026
Stroke and heart claims decided by the disease committee	2,130	KCOMWEL open data
Of these, recognised as work-related	633 (29.7%)	KCOMWEL open data

So about 3 in 10 stroke and heart claims were recognised in 2025. Many families are turned down. Good records of working hours make a real difference.

Koreans still work more hours than most. In 2025, the average Korean worker worked 1,833 hours. The average across OECD countries was 1,736 hours.

When does Korea count a death as caused by overwork?

The rules are in a labour ministry notice. The newest is Notice No. 2026-14, from 23 February 2026. It is based on Article 37 of the Industrial Accident Compensation Insurance Act.

It covers four kinds of illness. These are bleeding in or around the brain, strokes from a blocked blood vessel, heart attacks and a torn main artery (aortic dissection).

The ministry looks at average weekly hours in the 12 weeks before the illness:

Average hours a week, 12 weeks before the illness	How the link to work is judged	Source
More than 60 (or more than 64 in the last 4 weeks)	Strong link	MOEL Notice 2026-14
More than 52	The link grows with the hours. Strong if one extra strain is present.	MOEL Notice 2026-14
52 or fewer	The link can still grow if several extra strains are present	MOEL Notice 2026-14

The notice lists seven extra strains:

1. a work schedule that is hard to predict;
2. shift work;
3. too few days off;
4. a harmful workplace (cold, big temperature changes, noise);
5. physically hard work;
6. frequent work trips across big time differences;
7. work with high mental tension.

Night work counts extra. Each hour between 10pm and 6am counts as 1.3 hours.

A sudden heavy week can count. This applies if work in the week before rose by 30% or more. The ministry compares it with the average of the 12 weeks before.

A shock at work can count too. An unusual event in the 24 hours before the illness can count.

What is Korea's 52-hour workweek law?

Korea's parliament passed the 52-hour week on 28 February 2018. It means 40 normal hours plus at most 12 hours of overtime a week.

It started in steps:

Workplace size	52-hour week from	Source
300 or more workers	1 July 2018	Korea.kr
50 to 299 workers	1 January 2020	Korea.kr
5 to 49 workers	1 July 2021	Korea.kr
Fewer than 5 workers	Not covered by the hours rules	Easylaw

In December 2023, the Supreme Court ruled on how to count overtime. From 22 January 2024, the ministry counts it by the week. Overtime means hours above 40 a week, not above 8 in one day.

What has changed in Korea's working hours law recently?

• 2023: the government suggested letting firms count overtime over months, not weeks. It proposed a 64-hour weekly cap or 11 hours of rest between shifts. In November 2023, it said it would keep the 52-hour framework.
• 30 December 2025: unions, employers and the government signed a joint declaration. Their goal is to bring yearly hours closer to the OECD average.
• 4.5-day week: the government pays firms that move to a 4.5-day week. It pays up to 7.2 million won per worker a year. By the end of July 2026, 293 firms had joined. This is support, not a legal duty.
• Still only plans (October 2026): a right to disconnect after work, a duty to record working hours, and a ban on fixed overtime pay. The government promised these laws. They are not in force yet.
• Free legal help is coming: on 3 September 2026, parliament approved free lawyers or labour attorneys for vulnerable workers in accident claims. It starts six months after it is published.

How does a family claim through KCOMWEL?

KCOMWEL (근로복지공단, Korea Workers' Compensation and Welfare Service) runs industrial accident insurance. Survivors' benefit (유족급여) is money paid to the family after a work-related death.

1. Collect proof of the hours. Look for shift plans, time records, messages and work emails. Night work matters, because it counts extra.
2. Keep the medical records. These include the death certificate and hospital notes.
3. Send the claim. Send it to the KCOMWEL branch that covers the workplace. You can also claim online.
4. You do not need the employer's stamp. This rule ended in 2018 (MOEL FAQ).
5. A committee decides. The occupational disease committee (업무상질병판정위원회) looks at the hours and the strains.

What you can claim	Deadline	Source
Survivors' benefit and funeral costs (장례비)	5 years from the day after the death	MOEL FAQ, Easylaw
Most other benefits	3 years	MOEL FAQ

Is overwork linked to suicide in Korea?

Long hours and heavy stress can harm mental health as well as the heart. But suicide is never caused by work alone. WHO says the reasons are "multi-faceted".

Most people with heavy work stress do not become suicidal. Help works. In Korea, you can call 109 at any time. It has been the national suicide prevention line since 1 January 2024.

Where can you get help in Korea?

• KCOMWEL customer centre: call 1588-0075 about claims (MOEL).
• Ministry of Employment and Labor: call 1350 about working hours and your rights. Weekdays 9am to 6pm. Calls are not free (MOEL).
• Suicide prevention line: call 109, 24 hours a day.

What can you do today?

If your week often goes past 52 hours, write down your real hours every day. Include night hours. See a doctor if you have chest pain, headaches or always feel exhausted. Our guide to overwork warning signs and your rights can help.

If you lost someone, you are not alone. Many Korean families have asked these same questions. One step at a time is enough.