A maritime patrol aircraft conducts a preliminary drill for the Armed Forces Day ceremony in the skies near Seoul International Airport in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province, on the morning of September 9. (Yonhap)
SEOUL, Sept. 21 (Korea Bizwire) – A recent survey has revealed that one in five South Korean adults believes the government’s decision to designate October 1st, Armed Forces Day, as a temporary public holiday is inappropriate.
Polling firm PMI announced on September 20 that it had surveyed 3,000 South Koreans aged 20-69 about their thoughts on the new holiday. The results showed that 22% of respondents found the designation “inappropriate,” while 40% considered it “very appropriate,” and 38% remained neutral.
Those who opposed the new holiday cited various reasons. Some felt there were already too many holidays, while others thought the decision was too sudden.
Many respondents said they didn’t see the need or significance of this holiday, and some worried about disruptions to work and other plans. Economic concerns were also raised, with some pointing out that the economy is already struggling.
Supporters of the holiday, on the other hand, mentioned several benefits. They appreciated the opportunity to rest and believed it would stimulate the domestic economy. Some also thought it would boost the morale of the armed forces.
An Army helicopter squadron performs a circling flight over Seoul on the afternoon of Sept. 3, a month before the Armed Forces Day. (Yonhap)
Among the 2,306 employed respondents, 39% reported that their companies had not yet decided on their work policy for October 1st, while 30% saying they would have a paid day off, 22% expected to work as usual, and 9% anticipated having an unpaid day off.
This marks the first time in 34 years that Armed Forces Day has been designated as a public holiday. In 1990, President Roh Tae-woo’s administration removed both Armed Forces Day and Hangul Day (October 9th) from the list of public holidays, citing an overconcentration of holidays in October.
The government also abolished the next-day holiday system (now known as the alternative holiday system) that granted Mondays off when holidays fell on Sundays.
The decision in 1990 was driven by concerns that South Korea’s 19 public holidays, including Armed Forces Day and Hangul Day, significantly exceeded the global average of 13.4 days among 80 countries surveyed.
The administration argued that an excess of holidays promoted a culture of overspending.
M. H. Lee (mhlee@koreabizwire.com)
