"Will We Have the 28th Off Too?" Hopes Rise for a Temporary Public Holiday During the Short Chuseok Break

[Financial News]  With the Chuseok holiday just 10 days away, growing attention is focused on whether Monday, the day after the holiday, will be designated as a temporary public holiday.
This year's Chuseok holiday runs from Thursday, September 24, through Saturday, September 26. Including Sunday, September 27, the break lasts four days. That is relatively short compared with last year, when taking a day of annual leave on Friday, along with National Foundation Day, Hangeul Day, weekends and substitute holidays, allowed people to take up to 10 days off.
As the final day of the Chuseok holiday falls on a Saturday, some people are calling for Monday, September 28, to be designated as a substitute holiday.
However, under the current Regulations on Public Holidays of Government Offices, a substitute holiday for Chuseok is granted only when the holiday overlaps with a Sunday or another public holiday. Since this year's Chuseok holiday does not overlap with a Sunday, Monday, September 28, is not eligible for a substitute holiday.
For September 28 to become a day off, the government would have to designate it as a temporary public holiday after a resolution by the State Council of South Korea. Over the past 11 years, the government has designated temporary public holidays seven times, citing the need to stimulate domestic demand and provide people with time to rest.
The possibility of designating September 28 as a temporary public holiday this year has not been completely ruled out. In the past, announcements have been made shortly before a holiday period. The temporary public holiday on August 14, 2015, was announced 10 days in advance, while the one on May 6, 2016, was announced eight days beforehand.
On the other hand, some argue that there is not enough justification to designate September 28 as a temporary public holiday. Critics have continued to point out that temporary holidays may increase demand for overseas travel rather than stimulate domestic consumption. During last year's Lunar New Year holiday, a temporary public holiday created a six-day break, and a monthly record of 2,972,916 people traveled abroad.

Meanwhile, the government has not officially reviewed a plan to designate September 28 as a temporary public holiday. Unless a separate designation is announced, people will go to work and school as usual on September 28.


[email protected] Han Seung-gon Reporter