Labor Day and Constitution Day Designated as Public Holidays... Approved by Cabinet Meeting

Labor Day (May 1) and Constitution Day (July 17) have been designated as public holidays starting this year.

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On April 28, the Ministry of Personnel Management announced that a partial amendment to the “Regulations on Public Holidays for Government Offices,” designating Labor Day and Constitution Day as public holidays, was approved by the Cabinet. This is a follow-up measure to the amendments to the “Public Holiday Act” in January and March of this year, which designated Constitution Day and Labor Day as public holidays.

Labor Day was previously set as “Workers’ Day” under the Act on the Establishment of Workers’ Day enacted in 1963, allowing private sector workers to take a paid holiday. However, public officials, teachers, and others not covered by the Labor Standards Act were not guaranteed a holiday.

However, following a legal amendment in November last year, the official name was changed to “Labor Day.” Now, for the first time in 63 years since its establishment, it has been designated as a public holiday, ensuring that all citizens are guaranteed a day off.

Constitution Day was designated as a national holiday and public holiday in 1949 to commemorate the proclamation of the Constitution of the Republic of Korea on July 17, 1948. However, with the introduction of the five-day workweek, it was excluded from the list of public holidays in 2008. With this measure, it has become a public holiday again after 18 years.

Substitute holidays will also apply to both Labor Day and Constitution Day. This reflects both the intent of designating these days as public holidays and the current policy of allowing substitute holidays for national holidays.

Choi Dongseok, Minister of Personnel Management, stated, “Designating Labor Day and Constitution Day as public holidays carries value beyond simply adding more holidays. I hope this will be an opportunity for all citizens to reflect on and celebrate not only the value of labor but also the constitutional spirit, such as popular sovereignty.”

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