Constitution Day Redesignated as a Public Holiday After 18 Years... Public Holiday Act Passes National Assembly Plenary Session

Public Holiday Reinstated to Enhance Public Awareness of Constitutional Spirit

Constitution Day, which was a national holiday but not a public holiday, has once again been designated as a public holiday.

On January 29, the National Assembly held a plenary session and passed the partial amendment to the "Act on Public Holidays," which designates Constitution Day as a public holiday, with 198 votes in favor, 2 against, and 3 abstentions out of 203 members present.

This amendment includes Constitution Day among the public holidays. Until now, only holidays such as the March 1st Movement Day, Liberation Day, National Foundation Day, and Hangul Day were included as public holidays.

The National Assembly and the government have been discussing the re-designation of Constitution Day as a public holiday in order to emphasize the importance of the National Assembly, especially following the December 3 Martial Law in 2025. With this legal amendment, Constitution Day has become a public holiday again for the first time in 18 years.

Yonhap News

The National Assembly stated, "Although Constitution Day is an important national holiday that reaffirms the foundation of democracy, its exclusion from public holidays has weakened its symbolic significance and commemorative ceremonies. By designating Constitution Day as a public holiday, we aim to raise public awareness of the constitutional spirit." Once the amendment passes the State Council and is promulgated, Constitution Day will be designated as a public holiday for the first time in 18 years. As a result, the total number of holidays this year has increased from 118 to 119 days.

The amendment is an alternative bill created by combining proposals originally sponsored by Assembly members Oh Kyung Lim, Ho Joong Yoon, Kyung Won Na, Ki Sang Choi, Yong Woo Lee, Sang Eon Kwak, and Dae Sik Kang, among others.