South Korea Designates May 1 Labor Day and July 17 Constitution Day as Public Holidays

File photo unrelated to this article. [Photo=KBS1TV 'Jeong Do-jeon' capture]

Labor Day (May 1) and Constitution Day (July 17) have been officially designated as public holidays for government offices following Cabinet approval, a move expected to expand rest-day protections nationwide.

The Ministry of Personnel Management said the Cabinet on April 28 approved a partial revision to the regulations on public holidays for government offices to add Labor Day and Constitution Day. The step follows amendments to the Public Holidays Act that passed the National Assembly in January and March.

Labor Day had applied only to private-sector workers as a paid holiday under the law establishing Workers’ Day. Public officials, teachers and others not covered by the Labor Standards Act were not guaranteed the same day off, prompting long-running fairness concerns. After the holiday’s name was changed in November from “Workers’ Day” to “Labor Day,” the revision means the entire country will observe it for the first time in about 60 years.

Constitution Day also marks a major shift. The day, commemorating the promulgation of the Constitution on July 17, 1948, was designated a national day and public holiday starting in 1949, but it was removed from the public-holiday calendar in 2008 after the adoption of a five-day workweek. Calls to restore the holiday, citing its symbolic and historical significance, have continued, and it will regain public-holiday status after about 17 years.

The change has also drawn attention among office workers looking to build longer breaks by using annual leave. If Labor Day falls midweek, taking one day off before and after can extend time off from at least three days to as many as five. Depending on the weekday, Constitution Day can also be paired with a Friday or Monday to create a four-day break with a single day of leave.

Both holidays will be eligible for substitute holidays, meaning an additional weekday off will be granted if the holiday falls on a weekend, further increasing the potential for consecutive days off with minimal leave use.

The government said it expects the move to strengthen the public’s right to rest and generate economic spillover effects, including boosting domestic consumption. It also aims to narrow the gap in days off between the public and private sectors and reinforce the significance of national commemorative days.

* This article has been translated by AI.

Kang Min seon