Three-Day Holiday in May... Substitute Holidays Applied for Seokga Tansinil and Christmas

Ministry of Personnel Management Announces Legislative Notice on Amendment to Regulations Regarding Public Holidays in Government Offices

The government has decided to apply substitute holidays on Buddha's Birthday and Christmas to guarantee the public's right to rest. This year, Buddha's Birthday falls on Saturday, May 27, and substitute holidays are expected to be reflected starting this year.

The Ministry of Personnel Management announced on the 15th that it will publicly notify the amendment to the "Regulations on Public Holidays of Government Offices," which includes this content, starting from the 16th.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

So far, substitute holidays have been applied since 2013 for Lunar New Year, Chuseok holidays, and Children's Day, and expanded in 2021 to include March 1st Movement Day, Liberation Day, National Foundation Day, and Hangul Day. The People Power Party publicly proposed to the government on December 20 last year during a party strategy meeting to designate substitute holidays for these two holidays.

The government has also been hastening preparations with related ministries to enable the application of substitute holidays starting from this year's Buddha's Birthday. Kim Seung-ho, head of the Ministry of Personnel Management, stated, "We hope this amendment will guarantee appropriate rest rights for the public and help stimulate consumption, local economies, and overall economic revitalization."

Meanwhile, the public notification period for this amendment will continue until the 5th of next month. It will be promulgated after review by the Ministry of Government Legislation, the Cabinet meeting, and presidential approval. If applied as early as this year’s Seokga Tansinil (Buddha's Birthday) on May 27, May 29 will be designated as a substitute holiday.