The name of 'Labor Day' will be restored on May 1 for the first time in 61 years, replacing 'Workers' Day.' The government is also moving to officially designate Labor Day as a public holiday, drawing significant attention. Next year, May 1 falls on a Friday. If Labor Day is designated as a public holiday, people will be able to enjoy a five-day golden holiday by taking just one day off on Monday, May 4, as the weekend and Children's Day on Tuesday, May 5, will follow.

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The Ministry of Employment and Labor announced on the 26th that the National Assembly plenary session passed the 'Act on the Establishment of Labor Day' along with eight other bills under the ministry's jurisdiction. May 1 is known as 'May Day,' commemorating the 1886 struggle by American workers to secure an eight-hour workday. In Korea, the day has been observed as 'Labor Day' since 1923, but the name was changed to 'Workers' Day' in 1963 when the 'Act on the Establishment of Workers' Day' was enacted. Initially, Workers' Day was set for March 10, but a 1994 amendment moved it to May 1.

On the 2nd, Incheon International Airport Terminal 1 was bustling with travelers.

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Supporters of the name 'Labor Day' argue that the term 'worker' originated during the Japanese colonial era and carries a 'controlling and passive meaning' from the industrialization period, failing to fully reflect the autonomy and human value of labor. They also point out that, according to dictionary definitions, 'work' means 'to work diligently,' while 'labor' means 'to work physically,' making 'labor' a more value-neutral term.

However, there are also objections to the name change. Some argue that 'work' is not a remnant of Japanese colonial rule but an indigenous term that appears in the Annals of the Joseon Dynasty and is used in the Constitution of the Republic of Korea, so there is no need to change it. Others point out that improving actual working conditions should take priority over changing terminology.

The Ministry of Labor stated that it will coordinate with relevant ministries and actively support discussions in the National Assembly to ensure Labor Day can be designated as a public holiday. Currently, a bill to designate Labor Day as a public holiday has been proposed and is pending in the National Assembly's Public Administration and Security Committee. If the bill passes, Labor Day will gain the status of a statutory public holiday.

On the same day, the National Assembly plenary session also passed an amendment to the 'Act on Guarantee of Employees' Retirement Benefits,' which removes the requirement for a victim's complaint in cases where an employer, already publicly named for wage arrears, fails to pay retirement benefits or similar payments. Previously, if an employer publicly named for wage arrears failed to pay wages again, prosecution could proceed without the victim's complaint; this measure will now also apply to unpaid retirement benefits.

Amendments to the Wage Claim Guarantee Act, which allow the government to recover payments made to workers in cases of wage arrears from employers using the same procedures as for collecting unpaid national taxes, and amendments to the Employment Insurance Act, which allow the government to expand employment retention subsidies in the event of a nationwide deterioration in employment conditions, also passed the National Assembly on this day.

Additionally, amendments to the 'Act on Employment Promotion and Vocational Rehabilitation of Persons with Disabilities,' which relax regulations on establishing standard workplaces for people with disabilities, and amendments clarifying the legal basis for appointing labor directors at the Korea Workers' Compensation and Welfare Service, Korea Occupational Safety and Health Agency, and Human Resources Development Service of Korea, were also approved by the National Assembly.