With the Chuseok holiday approaching, interest is rising regarding whether October 10 will be designated as a temporary holiday. The addition of just one day off would create an unprecedented '10-day holiday'.
If October 10 is confirmed as a temporary holiday, it will be possible to have a long Chuseok break of ten days without taking additional vacation from the National Foundation Day (October 3, Friday) to the 12th (Sunday).
The government can designate a temporary holiday to boost domestic consumption and guarantee people's right to rest. Typically, a final decision is made at least two weeks in advance.
Meanwhile, opinions are sharply divided online regarding the designation of a temporary holiday.
While some netizens express positive opinions such as, "I hope they let us rest comfortably since we're going to use our annual leave anyway," others argue that it could lead to burdens at home and for corporations, and that a longer holiday may not significantly help stimulate domestic consumption as many would likely travel abroad.
In fact, during last year's Lunar New Year holiday, although there was a six-day temporary holiday, many people chose to travel abroad rather than consume domestically, leading to criticism that the expected effects of domestic stimulation did not materialize.
The National Assembly Research Service stated in a report issued last June that "recent temporary holidays have shown limited effects on domestic stimulation, as well as revealing structural limitations such as decreased exports and production and gaps in people's right to rest."