Excluded from public holidays since 2008
Commemorative days of lower status than national holidays are also public holidays
"Necessary to restore its status as a national holiday"
The debate over reinstating Constitution Day (July 17), which is just two days away, as a public holiday is gaining significant momentum. There are suggestions that reinstatement is necessary to restore its status, especially since it is the only national commemorative day that is not currently a public holiday.
According to the report "The Necessity and Key Issues of Reinstating Constitution Day as a Public Holiday" published by the National Assembly Research Service on July 15, Constitution Day was excluded from the list of public holidays in 2008 due to concerns about "reduced productivity" following the introduction of the five-day workweek in 2004. At the time, it was noted that Constitution Day falls during the summer vacation period, when many people are already off work, and that its purpose of embodying the founding ideology and legitimacy of the Republic of Korea overlapped with the fundamental intent of Liberation Day.
The issue is that Constitution Day is the only one among the five national commemorative days that is not a public holiday. Memorial Day and Children's Day, which are commemorative days of lower status than national holidays, are both designated as public holidays. For this reason, there are calls for Constitution Day to regain its status as a national holiday.
It is also relevant that public interest in the Constitution has increased, as seen in events such as the Constitutional Court's upholding of presidential impeachment. Public support for reinstating Constitution Day as a public holiday is high. In a survey conducted by Elimnet Now&Survey in July last year of 500 adults, 88.2% responded in favor of reinstating Constitution Day as a public holiday.
Woo Wonsik, Speaker of the National Assembly, delivers a congratulatory speech at the 76th Constitution Day celebration held at the National Assembly Rotunda Hall on the 17th. Photo by National Assembly Press Photographers Group
Reinstating Constitution Day as a public holiday requires a legal amendment. Since the 17th National Assembly, a total of 17 related bills have been proposed up to the 22nd National Assembly. The bills introduced in the 22nd National Assembly include not only the designation of Constitution Day as a public holiday but also the application of substitute holidays.
The National Assembly Research Service stated, "The day the fundamental law of the rule-of-law state, which is the foundation of democracy, was enacted holds great symbolic significance, especially in terms of the need to safeguard the Constitution, and its status as a national holiday should be restored." The agency also emphasized, "It is time for active discussions to sufficiently gather public opinion and reach a social consensus regarding the reinstatement of Constitution Day as a public holiday."
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