MORE ALTERNATIVE HOLIDAYS TO BE ADDED

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Some great news for those waiting for extra public holidays in Korea. Alternative holidays are designated when a public holiday falls on a weekend. Starting this year such system will be applied to Buddha's birthday which falls on May 27th and Christmas on December 25th.

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Buddha's birthday and Christmas will be subject to the alternative holiday rule going forward. This rule stipulates that when a statutory holiday overlaps with another day off like the weekend, the following weekday would be subject to an alternative holiday. The Ministry of Personnel Management issued today a legislation notification for the "Rules on holidays of public agencies" revision bill. The ministry's decision was made with other ministries to ensure people's right to rest, reduce pressure on small and medium enterprises and in the meantime, boost economic effects. If this new rule is applied on Buddha's birthday which falls on May 27th this year, there will be another three-day holiday in May in addition to the one around Children's Day on May 5th. When Buddha's birthday and Christmas become subject to the alternative holiday rule, New Year's Day and Memorial Day will be the only public holidays that will not have an alternative holiday. The first alternative holidays were designated for Seol, Chuseok and Children's Day in 2013. Its application was then expanded to include the March 1st Independence Movement Day and then Liberation Day. Experts believe that the latest addition of alternative holidays would promote spending.

[Soundbite] Prof. Sung Tae-yoon(Yonsei University) : "I believe it can stimulate the economy. Since alternative holidays lead to long-weekends, they will help generate additional demands."

The bill's legislation notification will continue until April 5th and then undergo the Ministry of Government Legislation's review, examination by the cabinet members and vice ministers, and then the presidential approval before it is promulgated on the government gazette.