"May 2 Temporary Holiday Canceled"
"Decision for Domestic Demand" vs. "Lost a Vacation Day"
As news spread that the government has decided not to designate May 2 as a temporary public holiday, public reactions have been mixed.
While most office workers could not hide their disappointment, some citizens responded positively, saying that the decision was made to boost the domestic economy.
As news spread that the government decided not to designate May 2 as a temporary holiday, various reactions have poured in online. Pixabay
If May 2 had been designated as a temporary public holiday, it would have created a six-day "golden holiday" period, including Labor Day on May 1, Children's Day on May 5, and the substitute holiday on May 6. This prospect had raised expectations, especially among office workers.
However, on April 23, Seoul Economic Daily reported, "The Ministry of Economy and Finance is not considering designating May 2 as a temporary public holiday." An official from the ministry told the media, "We are not considering designating May 2 as a temporary public holiday at all." The decision on whether to designate a temporary public holiday is finalized through a process in which relevant ministries, including the ruling party and the Ministry of Economy and Finance, consult with each other, after which the Ministry of Personnel Management submits the proposal to the Cabinet meeting for final review and approval. Another official explained, "For a temporary public holiday to be designated, discussions should have already begun," adding, "Given the decision-making process, it is already difficult to designate the day."
The government appears to have made this decision based on the judgment that the effect of boosting domestic demand through a temporary public holiday is minimal. In fact, when the government implemented a temporary public holiday in January with the aim of stimulating domestic demand, there was criticism of "policy failure" as research found it actually harmed domestic travel and consumption. This was because the Lunar New Year holiday was extended to up to nine days due to the temporary public holiday, leading to increased demand for overseas travel. According to Korea Customs Service statistics, the number of Korean nationals traveling abroad in January was 2,975,191, which was a 7.3% increase compared to the same month last year (2,773,675) and a 9.4% increase compared to the previous month (2,718,637).
In addition, according to Statistics Korea's nowcast, domestic credit card spending from January 24 to 31, which included the temporary public holiday, decreased by 34% compared to the previous week, indicating that there was no effect in boosting domestic demand. As a result, there have been continued criticisms that the temporary public holiday system, which was intended to encourage domestic travel and consumption, instead promoted overseas travel. The government is also believed to have considered the fact that the early presidential election day on June 3 has already been designated as a temporary public holiday, and that designating temporary public holidays for two consecutive months could exacerbate difficulties in the education sector, such as disruptions to the academic calendar and gaps in childcare.
On January 24, ahead of the Lunar New Year holiday including a temporary public holiday, travelers at Incheon International Airport Terminal 1 are lining up to move to the boarding concourse. Photo by Kang Jinhyung
In response to this news, citizens who had been hoping for the designation of a temporary public holiday could not hide their disappointment. On an anonymous online community for office workers, reactions included, "I already booked a flight, now I have to use a vacation day," "I was hoping to get six days off without using any leave," "Everyone is going to use their vacation days anyway, so just make it a temporary holiday," "How can anyone focus on work before a long holiday? Just let everyone rest," and "Please tell me this isn't true."
On the other hand, there was also a flood of comments from netizens welcoming the cancellation of the temporary public holiday. These included, "If they designate a temporary holiday, only Japan will benefit again," "If we get six days off, everyone will just go abroad and spend money," "How can people think about taking a break when the country is in this state?" "Even if the holiday is long, I have no money to spend. Good decision," "Take this opportunity to go on a short domestic trip," "Domestic demand should come first," "Labor Day is not a public holiday. More workplaces don't take the day off," and "Not everyone gets May 1 off, so how can May 2 be a substitute holiday? That makes no sense."
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