Substitute holiday system to take effect next year

The substitute holiday system that designates the working day immediately following public holidays that fall on Saturday or Sunday will be introduced next year.

At Monday’s Cabinet meeting presided by Prime Minister Chung Hong-won, the revision on the regulation regarding state organizations’ holidays was approved, paving the road to the introduction of the system drawn up by the government and the ruling Saenuri Party.

Under the system, the three-day Chuseok and Lunar New Year holidays will be extended to four days if one of the three days falls on the weekend. The system will also apply to the May 5 Children’s Day.

The system will apply only to government organizations. However, the government expects similar systems to be introduced within the private sector according to individual company’s labor-management agreements.

As a result of the system, 11 additional holidays will be generated over the 10-year period starting next year. The first substitute holiday will be Sept. 10, 2014 as part of the Chuseok holidays. During next year’s Chuseok, Sept. 7 ― the day before Chuseok day ― falls on a Sunday, making the first working day to follow the three-day holiday period a substitute holiday.

By Choi He-suk (cheesuk@heraldcorp.com)