쉼표가 필요한 대한민국: 대체공휴일의 명암과 일상의 재구성 > K-wave Trends

The controversy over alternative holidays surrounding Memorial Day clearly demonstrates the gap between legal interpretation and emotional expectations. According to the current ‘Law on Public Holidays,’ substitute public holidays are limited to national holidays, national holidays such as Lunar New Year and Chuseok, or specific holidays for which social consensus has been reached, such as Children’s Day. On the other hand, Memorial Day is a 'memorial day' that commemorates the patriotic patriots, and its essential meaning is different from national holidays that celebrate the country's auspicious events. For this reason, it is legally excluded from the application of alternative public holidays, and this also applies to New Year's Day (January 1). Citizens' regret is interpreted as the result of a combination of sentiments such as 'We need time to commemorate it more deeply as it is a memorial day' and realistic demands such as 'We desperately need a break from our tiring daily lives.'

On the other hand, there are cases where disappeared public holidays are resurrected after 18 years and change the landscape of the calendar. As Constitution Day was designated as a public holiday again on July 17, a three-day golden holiday was announced to office workers, including today, which is Friday, and continuing through the weekend. This goes beyond simply increasing the number of days off, and also brings changes to the operating schedule of society as a whole, such as adjusting game times in the sports world. The KBO League's decision to advance the Constitution Day game time to 6 p.m. is an example of flexible response that reflects the holiday culture. In addition, just as Labor Day has become a public holiday for the entire nation, our society is gradually elevating the value of rest to a level equal to the productivity of labor.

The rise of holidays is leading not only to individual leisure, but also to the evolution of public services and financial systems. Hanam City is taking steps to improve the quality of life for its citizens by opening a children's water park early in preparation for an untimely heat wave, extending parking hours, and preparing special programs for children with disabilities. This is an example of how the public can utilize the value of the holidays productively. Technological innovation continues in the financial sector as well. The fact that ‘Rental Pay’ has advanced its system to enable same-day payments and remittances even on weekends and public holidays suggests that holidays are no longer a ‘gap period’ for financial transactions. These changes are turning back the economic clock on the holidays.

Holiday economics are also deeply embedded in investment markets. The fact that government bonds for personal investment have been sold out for five consecutive months, showing a high competition rate of 2.03 to 1, reflects the sentiment of citizens who prefer safe assets in uncertain times. The subscription of these financial products during business days that do not fall on public holidays proves that the importance of asset allocation has now become common knowledge. Meanwhile, deviant behavior such as the problem of bikers taking advantage of public holidays suggests that we still have the task of establishing a mature holiday culture. Ultimately, holidays should not be a time for self-indulgence, but a time to recharge by following the laws, being considerate of others, and being a part of the community.