Seoul: The parliamentary public administration and security committee has approved a bill to designate Labor Day as an official public holiday. If the bill is approved in a plenary session and receives Cabinet endorsement, May 1 will be recognized as a national holiday starting this year.
According to Yonhap News Agency, South Korea previously marked May 1 as "Labor Day" until it was renamed "Workers' Day" in 1963 following the enactment of relevant legislation. Although Workers' Day became a paid holiday in 1994, the privilege was limited to workers under the Labor Standards Act, excluding public servants, teachers, and certain other workers.
Last year, the National Assembly passed a bill to revert the name to Labor Day. This move is part of a broader effort to ensure that all workers are granted a day off.