"Is It True or Not? Please Decide Quickly"... People Anxious Over Uncertainty of May 2 Temporary Holiday

Anticipation Grows for "Golden Holiday" Ahead of Children's Day
Government Faces Pressure Over Consecutive Public Holidays

On May 3, 2023, which included a golden holiday encompassing Labor Day and Children's Day, Incheon International Airport Terminal 1 was bustling with travelers preparing to embark on overseas trips. Photo by Kang Jinhyung

As the golden holiday in early May approaches, public interest is growing over whether May 2 will be designated as a temporary holiday. Recently, on the anonymous online community for office workers 'Blind,' posts asking "Is there a possibility that May 2 will be designated as a temporary holiday?" have been appearing one after another. This year, Children's Day and Buddha's Birthday both fall on May 5, creating a golden holiday period that is expected to last from Saturday, May 3, through the substitute holiday on May 6.

As the golden holiday in early May approaches, public interest is growing over whether May 2 will be designated as a temporary holiday. Recently, on the anonymous online community for office workers 'Blind,' posts asking "Is there a possibility that May 2 will be designated as a temporary holiday?" have been appearing one after another. Naver Calendar

In addition, May 1 is Labor Day, so most office workers, except for public officials, will have the day off. If Friday, May 2, which falls between these holidays, is designated as a temporary holiday, people could enjoy up to six consecutive days off. Among netizens, opinions are divided, with comments such as "It seems likely to be designated as a temporary holiday," "It’s too sudden, so it probably won’t be designated," "If they are going to do it, do it quickly," and "If designated, there could be criticism that it is aimed at gaining votes in the election."

Among netizens, opinions are divided with comments such as "It seems likely to be designated as a temporary holiday," "It’s too sudden, so it probably won’t be designated," "If they are going to do it, do it quickly," and "If designated, there could be criticism that it is aimed at gaining votes in the election." Anonymous community for office workers "Blind"

Previously, the government also designated a temporary holiday during the Lunar New Year holiday to boost domestic demand. At that time, Monday, January 27, which fell between the Lunar New Year holiday and the weekend, was designated as a temporary holiday, allowing office workers to take six consecutive days off. However, since the temporary holiday was designated only 19 days in advance, it caused some confusion. Meanwhile, some argue that the effect of temporary holidays on boosting domestic demand is limited. In fact, during the last Lunar New Year holiday, travel demand was concentrated on overseas trips. The number of people departing the country in January increased by 7.3% compared to the previous year, and during the temporary holiday in October last year, the number of outbound travelers also rose by 16.6%.

Additionally, since June 3, the date of the presidential election, has already been designated as a temporary holiday, there is analysis that the government may feel burdened about designating consecutive holidays. Meanwhile, the decision on whether to designate a temporary holiday is made after discussions among the ruling party, the Ministry of Economy and Finance, and other relevant ministries, with the Ministry of Personnel Management submitting the proposal to the Cabinet meeting. The government has already denied the speculation about designating May 2 as a temporary holiday once.