Gov't proposes holidays on Mondays

[Anchor]

Designating a public holiday based on a specific day of the week rather than a fixed date is called a 'day-of-the-week public holiday.'

A government research report has suggested moving Children's Day, Memorial Day, and Hangeul Day to Mondays.

What do citizens think about this?

Reporter Choi In-young has the story.

[Report]

What if Children's Day, Memorial Day, and Hangeul Day were on 'Mondays'?

We asked citizens.

["It's nice to have a day off on Monday. (Do you support it?) Yes, I support it."]

[Choi So-young/Gimcheon, Gyeongbuk: "If I can take a day off on Monday, I can go back to my hometown."]

[Choi Yoon-dam/Daegu Dalseong: "(Why did you support it?) Because Children's Day comes sooner. I will ride my kickboard and travel with my mom."]

The general consensus is in favor, as it guarantees a three-day weekend.

What were the reasons for opposition?

[Lee Mu-young/Goyang, Gyeonggi: "I opposed it because I think the significance of the commemorative days might slightly fade."]

[Lee Eun-jae/Jongno, Seoul: "I think there will be many office workers who will just 'stay home.' Then how will that help revitalize the local economy?"]

Citizens had diverse opinions on this matter.

We conducted a KBS internal poll to get a more accurate understanding of public opinion.

Support was at 70.8%, while opposition was at 29.2%.

The trend of support was similar to the on-site survey.

The most common reason for support was 'improving quality of life,' while 'historical symbolism weakening' was cited by more than half of the opposition.

The Ministry of Strategy and Finance commissioned a study on 'day-of-the-week public holidays' at the end of last year.

The final report suggested trying 'Work-Life Balance Monday' starting with Children's Day, Memorial Day, and Hangeul Day.

It was expected that per capita consumption expenditure would increase by about 75,000 won, leading to an anticipated production inducement of around 3.7 trillion won.

[Kim Dong-won/Professor of Public Administration at Incheon University: "We are trying to implement a 4.5-day workweek, and I think implementing day-of-the-week public holidays as a transitional method is a realistic approach."]

The Ministry of Personnel Management, the relevant department, is reviewing the final conclusion.

This is KBS News, Choi In-young.