"May 2nd as a Temporary Holiday?"... Mixed Reactions Over the Golden Holiday on the 6th

Office Workers Anticipate,
Self-Employed Business Owners Worry

As the golden holiday period approaches in early May, expectations and concerns about the designation of a temporary holiday are mixed. If May 2 is designated as a temporary holiday, office workers who can take up to six consecutive days off are looking forward to the break, while self-employed business owners operating in urban areas are worried about potential negative impacts.

If May 2 becomes a temporary holiday, you can have up to 6 days off. Screenshot from Naver Calendar

According to the 2025 calendar highlights from the Space and Aviation Agency on the 13th, there will be a total of 68 public holidays for government offices, and 119 days off for those working a five-day workweek.

In May, May 1 is 'Labor Day,' which is a paid holiday for everyone except public officials and teachers. Then, 'Children's Day' and 'Buddha's Birthday' both fall on Monday (May 5), resulting in a total of four days off including the weekend and the substitute holiday (May 6). If May 2, which falls in between, is designated as a temporary holiday, a six-day golden holiday will be completed.

As a result, voices anticipating the designation of a temporary holiday are already appearing on social networking services (SNS). During the last Lunar New Year, the government designated January 27 as a temporary holiday ahead of the holiday period, resulting in a six-day holiday from January 25 to 30.

On the other hand, concerns are also significant. Previously, the government introduced the temporary holiday designation expecting to boost domestic consumption and tourism, but in reality, it has been pointed out that it negatively affected domestic travel and consumption.

During the golden holiday in January, the number of domestic travelers leaving the country reached a record high. According to the Ministry of Justice, the number of domestic travelers in January was 2,975,191, a 7.3% increase compared to the same month last year, and even higher than the previous record in January 2019 (2,930,219).

Card sales also showed results different from the expected boost in domestic consumption. When BC Card's average daily card sales in January are set to 100 (based on personal cards), domestic sales on the temporary holiday of January 27 dropped to 98.0, while overseas sales increased to 103.4. This means less spending domestically and more spending abroad. The temporary holiday system actually encouraged overseas travel.

Netizens' reactions were mixed. Some netizens responded positively, saying, "Looking at the dates, it seems likely to be a golden holiday," and "Since I’m going to take a vacation anyway, I want to save at least one annual leave day if it becomes a temporary holiday." On the other hand, negative reactions included comments like, "Only those affected will benefit," "I’m already worried because sales drop sharply in industries when office workers take time off," and "Creating a temporary holiday has a huge impact on academic schedules."