Labor Day on May 1 has been designated a statutory holiday 63 years after it was established. With Constitution Day and now Labor Day designated as holidays, the number of statutory holidays increases from 15 to 17.
The Ministry of Personnel Management and the Ministry of Employment and Labor (MOEL) said on the 6th that a proclamation bill for a partial amendment to the Act on Holidays containing these provisions was approved at a Cabinet meeting.
With Labor Day designated as a holiday, civil servants, teachers, and specially employed workers such as courier drivers will also be able to take May 1 off. Until now, they were not classified as workers under the Labor Standards Act and had to go to work that day.
The government plans to hold a commemorative event in line with the holiday designation and name change of Labor Day. It will invite workers and government award recipients on May 1 and hold a 5.1-kilometer walking event.
Minister Kim Young-hoon of the Ministry of Employment and Labor (MOEL) said, "Following the name change to Labor Day in Nov. last year, Labor Day has been designated a holiday," and added, "It will serve as an opportunity to renew social awareness of the value and dignity of labor."