"If You Use Annual Leave Wisely, June Becomes a Golden Holiday Too"...Office Workers Smile Ahead of Presidential Election

Self-employed workers sigh even during the golden holiday...
"Long holidays are hell"

"I should take annual leave and go to Japan."

After returning to their routines following the May golden holiday, office workers are already excited about next month's presidential election. Since the 21st presidential election day has been designated as June 3 (Tuesday), taking just one day off on the 2nd (Monday) allows for a total of four consecutive days off starting from Saturday.

June 3rd, the date of the 21st presidential election, has been designated as a temporary holiday. If you take a day off on the 2nd, you can enjoy a total of four consecutive days off including the weekend and Monday and Tuesday. The photo shows Terminal 1 of Incheon International Airport on January 24th, just before the Lunar New Year holiday. Photo by Kang Jinhyung

With the end of the maximum six-day golden holiday, office workers are now focusing on the next break. On the 8th, posts such as "I'm going to use my annual leave and go to Japan again," "I'll vote early and go on an overseas trip," "May and June are just flying by," "Temporary holidays are the best," "I booked my flight right away," and "Memorial Day is on a Friday, so we can enjoy Friday, Saturday, and Sunday off again," and "I'm really struggling to decide where to go," appeared in an office worker community.

According to the travel industry on the 8th, expectations for the upcoming holiday are rapidly reviving demand for overseas travel. In particular, if people vote early or cast their ballots on the morning of June 3 (Tuesday) and then take two days off on the 4th (Wednesday) and 5th (Thursday), they can enjoy a total of six consecutive days off, including Memorial Day on the 6th (Friday) and the weekend. The industry expects a sharp increase in demand for overseas travel in June as a result.

Self-employed workers sigh even during the golden holiday..."Long holidays are hell"

On January 24, just before the Lunar New Year holiday, travelers at Incheon International Airport Terminal 1 were lining up to move to the boarding gate. Photo by Kang Jinhyung

However, unlike most office workers and the travel industry who welcome the "June holiday," self-employed workers are feeling discouraged as concerns about a domestic economic downturn intensify. On the 8th, a self-employed community was filled with comments such as "Only Japan, China, and Vietnam benefit every temporary holiday," "I'm already dreading losing a week of business in June," "Don't take consecutive days off. All self-employed people will go out of business," and "Long holidays are hell."

In fact, during this year's Lunar New Year holiday, January 27 (Monday), which fell in the middle of the holiday period, was designated as a temporary holiday, resulting in a six-day golden holiday. This led to an unintended consequence: the number of people traveling abroad increased rather than boosting domestic consumption. In January, 2.97 million Koreans traveled overseas, a 7.3% increase compared to the same month last year. This is also 2.1% higher than the same month in 2019. Furthermore, according to Statistics Korea's nowcast, domestic credit card spending between January 24 and 31, which included the temporary holiday, decreased by 34% compared to the previous week, indicating there was no effect in boosting domestic demand. As a result, there is growing criticism that long holidays are encouraging overseas travel.