Constitution Day (July 17) Restored as a Public Holiday After 18 Years

Constitution Day (July 17) has been designated as a public holiday again after 18 years.

On the 29th, the National Assembly passed the amendment to the 'Public Holiday Act' that re-designates Constitution Day as a public holiday, with 198 votes in favour, 2 against, and 3 abstentions out of 203 members present. The amendment will take effect three months after its promulgation, applying from this year's Constitution Day, which falls on a Friday.

Constitution Day is a national holiday established to commemorate the enactment of the Constitution of the Republic of Korea in 1948 and was operated as a public holiday for a time. However, it was excluded from public holidays starting in 2008 after the revision of public holiday regulations in 2005. Currently, among the five major national holidays—March 1st Movement Day, Constitution Day, Liberation Day, National Foundation Day, and Hangeul Day—only Constitution Day was not a public holiday.

The demand for the restoration of Constitution Day as a public holiday has been consistently raised. Discussions gained momentum when President Lee Jae-myung mentioned the need for its designation during a senior secretary meeting on July 17 last year.

With the confirmation of Constitution Day as a public holiday, it is expected that there will be a significant increase in family travel demand coinciding with the summer vacation period. At the same time, it is anticipated that the concentrated travel demand during the summer will be dispersed.

With this amendment, all five major national holidays—March 1st Movement Day, Constitution Day, Liberation Day, National Foundation Day, and Hangeul Day—will be designated as public holidays.