Is It the 27th or the 31st... Government Calculates and Says "The 27th Is Better"

Many Must Work on the 31st Due to Closures and Deadlines
Return Traffic Is Heavier... Monday Off Helps Disperse Traffic
Industries Like Restaurants That Cannot Rest on Saturdays Also Considered

Citizens are boarding the train at Seoul Station. Photo by Kim Hyun-min

Despite ongoing criticism that "the 31st would be more effective than the 27th" for the temporary holiday during the Lunar New Year holiday, the government plans to designate the 27th as a temporary holiday according to the original plan.

The government will approve the agenda to designate the 27th as a temporary holiday at the Cabinet meeting on this day. Earlier, on the 8th, the government announced a plan to designate the 27th as a temporary holiday to extend the Lunar New Year holiday period from the existing three days to six days. The purpose is to stimulate subdued consumer sentiment and revitalize domestic demand by extending the holiday period to six days.

However, some argued that the 31st, a Friday, would be more effective than the 27th, a Monday. The post by Jung Won-oh, the mayor of Seongdong-gu, Seoul, on social media became the starting point. He stated, "It is necessary to carefully designate the date in line with the original purpose of revitalizing the sluggish economy," and argued, "The 31st would be more effective as a temporary holiday than the 27th announced by the government."

Mayor Jung pointed out, "For many married women, designating the 27th as a temporary holiday could rather increase the burden of household chores during the holiday," and "The burden on office workers who have to handle work concentrated on the 31st could also increase." He added, "Since there is a greater possibility that people will rest through the weekend after finishing holiday schedules and dine out or go on short outings with their families, it would better align with the government's intention to promote consumption and stimulate domestic demand."

Three Reasons the Government Chose the 27th Instead of the 31st

The government also deliberated between the 27th and the 31st, but it is known that there are three main reasons for sticking with the 27th. First, on the 31st, there are industries that must complete payment closures and settlements, making it essential to finish work. In such cases, workers must come to work, so the 27th is considered better.

Since the return trip is more congested than the outbound trip, taking a day off on Monday has a greater traffic dispersion effect than on Friday. If the temporary holiday is designated on the 31st, the movement of workers commuting on the 27th and travelers heading home for the holiday would overlap, potentially causing traffic congestion.

There are also industries, such as restaurants and export logistics, that cannot take Saturdays off. For these industries, if they rest on the 31st, they can rest for four days, but if they rest on the 27th, they can rest for five days. When taking a holiday on the 27th, they can rest consecutively for five days from Sunday (the 26th) to Thursday (the 30th), but if the holiday is on the 31st, they rest for four days from Tuesday (the 28th) to Friday (the 31st) and have to work again on Saturday (February 1st).

Above all, since the matter has already been announced, changing the holiday date now could disrupt plans that have been made based on the 27th holiday. The government reportedly stuck to the existing plan to avoid confusion over KTX reservations, travel plans, and other arrangements.